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Table 1 List of the recorded wild edible plants

From: Wild food plants and fungi sold in the markets of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR

Scientific name

Family

Local name

Local name

Voucher Number

(WA)

Jun

Aug

Nov

Feb

Parts used

Use

Nuber of species

   

79

62

59

45

  

Acacia concinna (Willd.) DC.

Fabaceae

som poi

72429

x

x

x

x

green parts

in BS and MVS to give them sour taste

Acacia pennata (L.) Willd.

Fabaceae

phak kan kong

72440

x

x

x

x

green parts

BS, chicken soup

Adenanthera pavonina L.

Fabaceae

phak mak lam

72466

x

   

green parts

BS, MVS

Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa

Rutaceae

mak tum

72477

x

x

x

x

fruit

tea, also raw, sticky inside to make glue for paper, young leaf tasty but they dont sell it in the market

Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth.

Fabaceae

phak thon

 

x

   

green parts

soup, raw

Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DC.

Amaranthaceae

phak kan tan

72455

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Amaranthus spinosus L.

Amaranthaceae

phak hom nam

72447

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Amaranthus viridis L.

Amaranthaceae

phak hom

72439

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Amocalyx microlobus Pierre ex Spire

Apocynaceae

mak sim

 

x

   

young fruits

raw or added to dishes to give them sour taste

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson

Araceae

duk deu

72492

observed in previous years

stalks

soup, MVS

Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze

Lamiaceae

phak ki on

 

observed in previous years

green parts

soup, MVS

Antidesma acidum Retz.

Phyllanthaceae

mak mao

72493

 

x

  

green parts with fruits, fruits

green parts added to a soup made with Russula species, always sold placed near a bowl of these mushrooms; fruits are first sour then turn sweet

Arenga westerhoutii Griff.

Palmae

mak tao

72478

 

x

x

 

seed, sap for wine

seed to make a sweet dessert, sap for wine

Averrhoa carambola L.

Euphorbiaceae

mak fu yang

 

x

x

x

x

fruit

raw, also in salads, chicken soup to give sourness

Azidarachta indica A. Juss.

Meliaceae

phak ka dao

72430

x

x

x

x

green parts

MVS

Bambusae, inlcuding:

 

no mai

 

x

x

x

x

shoots

BS, bamboo MVS

Bambusa blumeana Schultes

Poaceae

  

72453

      

Bambusa longispiculata Gamble

Poaceae

  

72498

      

Bambusa tulda Roxb.

Poaceae

  

72500

      

Cephalostachyum virgatum (Munro) Kurz

Poaceae

  

72497

      

Gigantochloa albociliata (Munro)Kurz

Poaceae

  

72494

      

Indocalamus petelotii (A.Camus) Ohrnb.

Poaceae

  

72501

      

Indosasa sinica C.D.Chu & C.S.Chao

Poaceae

  

72496

      

Dendrocalamus sinicus L.C.Chia & J.L.Sun

Poaceae

  

72495

      

Bauhinia malabarica Roxb.

Fabaceae

phak xiao

72448

x

x

  

green parts

raw and boiled, soup, MVS - added to dishes to give them acidity

Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam.

Fabaceae

nam phak kha nya

72418

lv

lv

fl

fl

green parts, flowers

flowers, raw with geaouw, jackfruit salad and other things; young shoots added to dishes to give them sourness

Calamus viminalis Willd.

Palmae

wai kom

 

x

x

x

x

stalk

burn it for geaw also for soup and 'o lam' soup

Canarium asperum Benth.

Burseraceae

mak bai

    

x

shoots

soup, MVS

Careya arborea Roxb.

Lecythidaceae

phak ka don

    

x

green parts

raw, as condiment for spicy salad

Caryota urens L.

Palmae

nyod tao

72491

x

x

  

inside of stalk

boiled in soup quite rare in the market, highly prized

Castanopsis hystrix Hook. f. & Thomson ex A. DC.

Fagaceae

mak ko

72480

  

x

 

fruit

after frying

Celastrus paniculatus Willd.

Celastraceae

mak taek

72467

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Centella asiatica (L.) Urb.

Umbelliferae

phak nok

72421

x

x

x

x

green parts

raw or boiled in soup, MVS

Cladophora sp.

Cladophoraceae

khai

72452

x

x

x

x

whole plant (green parts)

sheets of dried algae spiced with sesame and garlic fried as a snack or sidedish.; the fresh algae also eaten in a sort of vegetable porridge for breakfast

Coccinia grandis (L.)Voigt.

Cucurbitaceae

phak tam nin, phak tam ling

72464

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Colocasia esculenta (L.)Schott

Araceae

bon van

72458

x

x

x

x

leaf stalk

soup, MVS, require longer processing

Colocasia gigantea (Blume) Hook.f.

 

thoun

 

x

x

x

x

leaf stalk

papaya salad, soup, MVS

Colubrina longipes Back.

Rhamnaceae

phak kan tong

72463

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Commelina diffusa Burm.f.

Commelinaceae

phak kab pi, phak pab

 

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Commelina zeylanica Falkenb.

Commelinaceae

phak kab pi, phak pab

72450

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth.) S.Moore

Asteraceae

nya heu bin

72426

x

 

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Cratoxylum cochinchinense Blume

Guttiferae

phak tio

72409

x

x

  

green parts

soup, MVS

Cyclea barbata Miers

Menispermaceae

mo noy

72411

x

 

x

 

green parts

soup, MVS

Daemonorops jenkinsiana (Griff.) Mart.

Palmae

wai

72479

x

x

x

x

stalk

burned for geaw also for soup, 'o lam' and MVS

Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf.

Fabaceae

fang daeng, mak fang

72490

x

 

x

 

preserved fruit

endosperm of seeds eaten after boiling

Diplazium esculentum (Retz.)Sw.

Woodsiaceae

phak kud

72425

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup and MVS, needs boiling

Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms

Pontederiaceae

phak tob

72487

  

x

x

green parts

steamed and eaten in salad with sesame, fish sauce, coriander and onion, MVS, soup

Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.

Poaceae

nya phak khuaai

72465

x

   

green parts

MVS

Eryngium foetidum L.

Umbelliferae

phak hom pe

72422

x

x

x

x

green parts

aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes

Erythrina stricta Roxb.

Fabaceae

dok thong, phak thong

72407

x

x

  

green parts, fruit

young leaves, fruts, raw or 5 min boiling

Ficus fistulosa Reinw. ex Blume

Moraceae

mak war

 

x

x

  

green parts, fruit

fruit and leaf

Flacourtia indica (Burm.f.) Merr.

Salicaceae

mak kvien, mak ken ta khuaai

    

x

green and ripe fruits

to give acidity to dishes, also raw

Gnaphalium polycaulon Pers.

Asteraceae

phak kaeb

 

x

   

green parts

MVS

Hibiscus sabdariffa L.

Malvaceae

som pho di

72511

x

 

x

 

fruit

leaf - soup, fruit - soup, jam

Houttuynia cordata Thunb.

Saururaceae

phak khao thong

72427

x

x

x

x

green parts

raw salad

Hydrolea zeylanica Vahl

Hydrophyllaceae

phak bi i ian

72461

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Ipomoea aquatica Forssk.

Convolvulaceae

phak bong

72434

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Lasia spinosa (L.) Thwaites

Araceae

phak nam, bon nam

72431

x

 

x

 

green parts

soup, MVS

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit

Fabaceae

phak ka thin

72488

 

x

x

x

green parts

pods and leaves raw in papaya salad, also in 'lab' meat salad

Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenau

Limnocharitaceae

phak kan chong

72424

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Limnophila chinensis (Osbeck) Merr.

Scrophulariaceae

phak kha nhyaeng

72420

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS, as an aromatic herb giving flavour

Lindernia sp1

Scrophulariaceae

nya khai hao

72454

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Lindernia sp2

Scrophulariaceae

nya khai hao

72468

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Lindernia sp3

Scrophulariaceae

phak kaeb

72470

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Lindernia sp4

Scrophulariaceae

phak dang khom

72474

x

   

green parts

soup, MVS

Livistona saribus (Lour.)Merr. Ex Chev.

Palmae

mak kho

72481

 

x

x

 

fruit

fruit after placing in hot water

Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw.

Lygodiaceae

phak kud noy

72437

x

x

x

 

green parts

soup, MVS

Mangifera sp. (a wild taxon)

Anacardiaceae

bai mak mouang

 

observed in previous years

green parts

soup, MVS

Markhamia stipulata (Wall.) Seem.

Bignoniaceae

dok khae

72483

  

x

x

flowers

raw, also pork/chicken filling and steamed

Marsilea crenata C. Presl.

Marsileaceae

phak waen

72446

x

x

x

x

green parts

fried like morning glory, salad with sesame, onion, galangal, ginger

Melientha suavis Pierre

Opiliaceae

phak wan ba

72484

x

x

x

 

green parts

soup, MVS

Millettia brandisiana Kurz

Opiliaceae

dok ban

72489

  

x

 

green parts

boil in water 1-2 min, and then salad with sesame onion, fish sauce coriander

Momordica charantia L.

Cucurbitaceae

phak sai

72436

x

x

x

x

green parts

shoots for soup, fruit boiled eaten with geaow

Moringa oleifera Lam.

Moringaceae

phak i hum

72428

x

x

  

green parts

soup, MVS

Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aitom

Brassicaceae

phak nam

72444

x

x

x

x

green parts

aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes

Neptunia oleracea Lour.

Fabaceae

phak ka sed

72415

x

x

x

x

green parts

raw and bamboo soup

Ocimum tenuiflorum L.

Lamiaceae

phak ka phao

72441

x

x

x

x

green parts

aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes

Ocimum sp.

Lamiaceae

phak sa ao

72456

x

x

x

x

green parts

aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes

Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz

Bignoniaceae

lin mai

72416

fl, lv

fr

fr

 

green parts, fruit, flowers

flower and fruit, flowers steamed with pork/chicken stuffed in it, praised in spite of their bitterness

Oxalis corniculata L.

Oxalidaceae

som saeng ka

72438

x

x

  

green parts

soup, MVS

Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.

Pandanaceae

bai toey

72482

x

x

  

green parts

to give food gentle flavour and green colour

Passiflora edulis Sims

Passifloraceae

mak nod

72459

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Passiflora foetida L.

Passifloraceae

phak moy

72471

x

x

x

x

green parts

soup, MVS

Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels

Euphorbiaceae

bai mak nyom

  

x

  

green parts

soup, MVS

Phyllanthus emblica L.

Euphorbiaceae

mak kaam pom

   

x

 

green parts

soup, MVS

Piper ribesioides Wall. /Piper interruptum Opiz.

Piperaceae

sa khan

72485

x

x

x

x

stalk

added to dishes for flavouring, e.g. in 'o lam'

Piper sarmentosum Roxb.

Piperaceae

phak iloed

72505

x

x

x

 

green parts

in 'o lam', it enhances a dish’s flavour. it is  also added to some river weed and taro (bon) dishes, and used to wrap little snacks

Polygonum odoratum Lour.

Polygonaceae

phud phaeng

72510

x

x

x

x

green parts

aromatic herb added to soups, MV and other dishes

Protium serratum (Wall.ex Colebr.)Engl.

Burseraceae

mak phaen

72508

 

x

  

ripe fruits

used to give acid taste to dishes

Rhus chinensis Mill.

Anacardiaceae

som fod

72476

  

x

 

fruit

used to add sour taste to dishes

Sandoricum koetjape (Burm.f.) Merrill

Meliaceae

mak tong

72473

x

   

fruit

eaten raw

Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr.

Euphorbiaceae

phak wan ban

72443

x

   

green parts

soup. MWV

Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Merr.

Sapindaceae

mak ko som

72509

 

x

  

ripe fruits

used to give acid taste to dishes

Sechium edule (Jacquin) Swartz

Cucurbitaceae

phak soe, mak soe

72460

x

   

green parts

soup. MWV

Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Poir.

Fabaceae

phak khae khao, dok khae

72472

x

x

x

x

flowers, green parts

soup. MWV

Solanum barbisetum Nees

Solanaceae

mak pu mak nya

72442

x

   

young fruits

 

Solanum indicum L.

Solanaceae

mak kaen kon

 

x

   

green parts

raw

Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal

Solanaceae

mak oek

72410

x

   

fruit

papaya salad

Solanum nigrum L.

Solanaceae

phak did nam

72417

x

x

x

 

green parts

soup. MWV, also used raw

Solanum spirale Roxb.

Solanaceae

mak did

72408

x

x

  

green parts

soup. MWV

Spilanthes acmella (L.)L.

Asteraceae

phak khad hun

72413

x

x

x

x

green parts

raw, but mostly in soups, MVS, 'o lam'

Spilanthes paniculata Wall. ex DC.

Asteraceae

phak khad dok noy

72412

x

   

green parts

soup. MWV

Spondias pinnata (Koenig ex L.f.)Kurz

Anacardiaceae

mak kok

72462

x

x

x

 

fruit

fruit grilled for geauw, also chicken soup, o lam, also raw

Tamarindus indica L.

Fabaceae

mak kham

 

x

x

x

x

fruit

raw or paste as condiment

Tiliacora triandra Diels.

Menispermaceae

bai ya nang

72433

x

x

x

x

green parts

used to make yanang water used in bamboo soup

Trapa natans L.

Trapaceae

mak ka chap

72514

 

x

  

fruit

boiled snack

Zanthoxylum retsa (Roxb.)DC.

Anacardiaceae

mak khaen

72486

x

x

x

x

fruit (seed coating)

spice for all foods

Zizyphus sp.

Rhamnaceae

mak ka than

  

x

x

 

fruit

raw snack

unidentified

 

mak noy tai

 

observed in previous years

fruit

raw snack

unidentified

 

phak i tu

 

observed in previous years

green parts

soup. MWV

unidentified

 

phak dit pa

 

observed in previous years

green parts

soup. MWV

  1. Abbreviations: BS bamboo soup, MVS mixed vegetable salad, lv leaves, fl flowers, fr fruit