Table 3 Folk uses of wild food plants recorded in the study area
Botanical taxon, voucher specimen code and botanical family | Folk name | Used part(s) | Gathering period | Gathering area(s) | Collectors | Folk food uses | Citation frequency | Previously reported from Pakistan as WFPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aerva javanica (Burm.f.) Juss. ex Schult. (127216) | Sparokai | Leaves | April-July | Waste land | Women | Young fresh leaves are boiled in water for ½ hour. The extra water is poured out, and the leaves are moved to another container containing ghee with fried onions & red chilies. Kept on the fire until water is evaporated & ghee appears on top. This is then eaten with bread. | 0.16 | Yes |
Amaranthaceae | ||||||||
Allium carolinianum DC. (127194) | Khokhai | Whole plant | June-September | Ridges | Men | The leaves and bulbs are eaten with bread. | 0.37 | Yes |
Amaryllidaceae | ||||||||
Allium sp. Linn. (127217) | Cook | Whole plant | June-September | Slopes and ridges | Men | The leaves and bulbs are eaten with bread and are also used as spice in curry. | 0.50 | Yes |
Amaryllidaceae | ||||||||
Amaranthus spinosus L. (127219) | Sarmay | Leaves | April-July | Waste land | Women | Young fresh leaves are boiled in water for ½ hour. The extra water is poured out, and then the leaves are moved to another container containing ghee with fried onions & red chilies. Kept on the fire until water is evaporated & ghee appears on top. This is then eaten with bread. | 0.93 | Yes |
Amaranthaceae | ||||||||
Berberis calliobotrys Bien. ex Koehne (127222) | Sarmay | Fruits | October | Pine forests | Men | Directly consumed. | 0.11 | No |
Berberidaceae | ||||||||
Caragana ambigua Stocks (127205) | Zaray | Flowers | June | Valleys | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.02 | No |
Fabaceae | ||||||||
Caralluma tuberculata N.E.Br. (127133) | Pamanai | Stems | March-April | Moist shady places | Women, men, kids | Extensive salt is rubbed on the cut pieces and left for half an hour. They are then washed with water. Now, they are fried in hot boiling ghee containing fried onions. This is then eaten with bread. | 0.22 | Yes |
Apocynaceae | ||||||||
Celtis australis L. (127176) | Thaghah | Fruits | May | Near human settlements | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.05 | Yes |
Cannabaceae | ||||||||
Cicer nuristanicum Kitam. (127183) | Chenrah | Fruit | July | High mountain valleys | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.06 | No |
Fabaceae | ||||||||
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (127231) | Da khwarak azghai | Stems | May-August | Waste land | Men, kids | The ectoderm of the semi-mature stem is removed. The remaining white fleshy part is eaten raw. | 0.06 | No |
Asteraceae | ||||||||
Cotoneaster microphyllus Wall. Ex Lindl. (127234) | Manray | Fruit | May | Bushy vegetation | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.30 | Yes |
Rosaceae | ||||||||
Cotoneaster minutus Klotz (127125) | Sharavo | Fruit | September | Shrubby mountain vegetation | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.59 | Yes |
Rosaceae | ||||||||
Cotoneaster pruinosus Klotz (127206) | Pushthawergai | Fruit | August | Beside pedestrian passes | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.22 | No |
Rosaceae | ||||||||
Cynoglossum lanceolatum Forssk. (127212) | Jezgai | Leaves | April-July | Waste land | Women | Young fresh leaves are boiled in water for ½ hour. The extra water is poured out and then the leaves are moved to another container containing ghee with fried onions & red chilies. Kept on the fire until water is evaporated & ghee appears on top. This is then eaten with bread. | 0.01 | No |
Boraginaceae | ||||||||
Debregeasia saeneb (Forssk.) Hepper & J.R.I.Wood (127143) | Mermandai | Fruit | May | High mountain valleys | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.19 | Yes |
Urticaceae | ||||||||
Ficus palmata Forssk. (127240) | Injar | Leaves, Fruit | April (Leaves), July (Fruit) | Near human settlements | Women, men, kids | The fruits are directly consumed. The young fresh leaves are boiled in water for 2Â hours to soften completely. This is then eaten directly or sometimes with bread. | 0.69 | Yes |
Moraceae | ||||||||
Grewia tenax (Forssk.) Fiori (127126) | Pasthawnai | Fruit | August | Hedgerows | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.01 | Yes |
Malvaceae | ||||||||
Grewia villosa Willd. (127243) | Injarai | Fruit | July | Marshy & bushy vegetation | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.08 | Yes |
Malvaceae | ||||||||
Lactuca dissecta D.Don (127184) | Paywerka | Leaves | April-August | Hedgerows | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.05 | No |
Asteraceae | ||||||||
Launaea procumbens (Roxb.) Ramayya & Rajagopal (127180) | Sondrashi | Leaves | April-August | Waste land | Men, Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.12 | Yes |
Asteraceae | ||||||||
Limonium cabulicum (Boiss.) Kuntze (127170) | Botyarai | Leaves | June-August | Rocky barren land | Men | The fresh leaves are boiled in water containing sugar. This is then taken as tea. | 0.05 | No |
Plumbaginaceae | ||||||||
Malva sylvestris L. (127123) | Methrai | Leaves | April-July | Waste land | Women | Young fresh leaves are boiled in water for ½ hour. The extra water is poured out, and then the leaves are moved to another container containing ghee with fried onions & red chilies. Kept on the fire until water is evaporated & ghee appears on top. This is then eaten with bread. | 0.08 | Yes |
Malvaceae | ||||||||
Notholirion thomsonianum (Royle) Stapf (127166) | Shyajey | Leaves | April-May | Sandy fertile places | Women, men | Young fresh leaves are boiled in water for ½ hour. The extra water is poured out, and then the leaves are moved to another container containing ghee with fried onions & red chilies. Kept on the fire until water is evaporated & ghee appears on top. This is then eaten with bread. | 0.31 | No |
Liliaceae | ||||||||
Olea ferruginea Wall. ex Aitch. (127151) | Shwawan | Fruit, Leaves | September | Forests | Women, men, kids | The fruits are directly consumed while the fresh leaves are used as tea. | 1.0 | Yes |
Oleaceae | ||||||||
Oxalis corniculata L. (127198) | Therwashka | Leaves | May | Waste land | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.06 | Yes |
Oxalidaceae | ||||||||
Periploca aphylla Decne. (127156) | Barrarr | Fruit and young stems | May | Waste land | Kids | The fresh green fruits and young stems are chewed and the sweet tasting sap is swallowed. | 0.06 | Yes |
Apocynaceae | ||||||||
Periploca hydaspidis Falc. (127128) | Khwaza waley | Fruit | May | Barren land | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.01 | Yes |
Apocynaceae | ||||||||
Physalis divaricata D. Don (127181) | Band malkhovj | Fruit | August | Waste land | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.01 | No |
Solanaceae | ||||||||
Pinus gerardiana Wall. ex D.Don (127203) | Zanghozai | Fruit | October | Pine forests | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.59 | Yes |
Pinaceae | ||||||||
Pinus wallichiana A.B.Jacks. (127213) | Nashtar | Fruit | October | Pine forests | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.29 | Yes |
Pinaceae | ||||||||
Pistacia chinensis Bunge (127191) | Shrawan | Fruit | October | Forests | Women, men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.30 | Yes |
Anacardiaceae | ||||||||
Pistacia khinjuk Stocks (127259) | Saho shrawan | Fruit | October | Forests | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.01 | Yes |
Anacardiaceae | ||||||||
Portulaca quadrifida L. (127257) | Pakharai | Aerial parts | May-July | Waste land | Women | Young fresh leaves including young shoots are boiled in water for ½ hour. The extra water is poured out, and then the leaves are moved to another container containing ghee with fried onions & red chilies. Kept on the fire until water is evaporated & ghee appears on top. This is then eaten with bread. | 0.04 | Yes |
Portulacaceae | ||||||||
Punica granatum L. (127208) | Nargos | Fruit | September | Mountains & home gardens | Women, men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.55 | Yes |
Lythraceae | ||||||||
Pyracantha M. Roam (127127) | Khra sharavo | Fruit | September | Mountain forests | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.01 | Yes |
Rosaceae | ||||||||
Ribes alpestre Wall. ex Decne. (127193) | Sheen korai | Fruit | July | Bushy vegetation | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.01 | Yes |
Grossulariaceae | ||||||||
Rosa moschata Herrm. (127134) | Khorach | Fruit | August | High mountain valleys | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.33 | Yes |
Rosaceae | ||||||||
Rubus ulmifolius Schott (127197) | Gharangavo | Fruit | August | Fertile mountain valleys | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.26 | Yes |
Rosaceae | ||||||||
Salvia moorcroftiana Wall. ex Benth. (127131) | Dersai | Stem | May-June | Waste land | Women, men, kids | The external green part of the semi-matured stem is removed and the remaining white juicy part is eaten raw. | 0.47 | No |
Lamiaceae | ||||||||
Sideroxylon mascatense (A.DC.) T.D.Penn. (127185) | Guargur | Fruit | June | Low land forests | Women, men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.55 | Yes |
Sapotaceae | ||||||||
Solanum americanum Mill. (127158) | Malkhovj | Fruit | June | Waste land | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.09 | Yes |
Solanaceae | ||||||||
Spiraea canescens D.Don (127265) | Sra wany | Fruit, stem, bark | May | Sloppy &shrubby vegetation | Men, kids | The fruits are directly consumed. The green stem cortex is boiled in water with sugar which is then taken as tea | 0.12 | Yes (fruit), No (tea) |
Rosaceae | ||||||||
Thymus linearis Benth. (127211) | Marveiy | Leaves | June-September | Waste land | Women, men, kids | The leaves are used as herbal tea. | 0.09 | Yes |
Lamiaceae | ||||||||
Tragopogon gracilis D.Don (127167) | Shabey | Aerial parts | July | Fertile valley bottoms | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.12 | No |
Asteraceae | ||||||||
Tulipa lehmanniana Merckl. (127148) | Sondai | Bulb | April-June | Mountain plateaus | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.27 | Yes |
Liliaceae | ||||||||
Viburnum cotinifolium D. Don (127210) | Thorayi | Fruit | August | Mountain forests | Women, men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.56 | Yes |
Adoxaceae | ||||||||
Viscum cruciatum Sieber ex Boiss. (127269) | Da shwawna lewanai | Leaves | May | Parasite of olive trees | Women, men | The leaves are used as tea. | 0.11 | No |
Santalaceae | ||||||||
Vitis flexuosa Thunb. (127270) | Malavo | Fruit | June | Hedgerows | Women, men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.02 | Yes |
Vitaceae | ||||||||
Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (127153) | Bera | Fruit | July | Low land plains | Men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.13 | Yes |
Rhamnaceae | ||||||||
Ziziphus nummularia (Burm.f.) Wight & Arn. (127271) | Karkanr | Fruit | July | Low land plains | Kids | Directly consumed. | 0.01 | Yes |
Rhamnaceae | ||||||||
Ziziphus oxyphylla Edgew. (127199) | Heilaneiy | Fruit | July | Forests | Women, men, kids | Directly consumed. | 0.28 | Yes |
Rhamnaceae |