Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2020). 7(12): 1-5 International Journal of Advanced Research in Biological Sciences ISSN: 2348-8069 www.ijarbs.com DOI: 10.22192/ijarbs Coden: IJARQG (USA) Volume 7, Issue 12 -2020 Research Article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijarbs.2020.07.12.001 Wild edible plants of Gorumara National Park, ,

Anant Kumar1 and Vinay Ranjan1# 1Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of , Howrah-711103, West Bengal E-mail: #[email protected]

Abstract Knowledge of wild edible plants is essential to enrich our dietary diversity. These plants can be used to rescue as food at times of disasters, droughts and famines. The floristic composition of the Gorumara National Park (GNP) was studied through extensive field surveys from 2008 to 2012 and enumerated 350 taxa under 260 genera belonging to 90 families of angiosperms. During the study, authors collected information on 50 wild edible plants from the tribals and local people. A list of these plants along with their family, phenology and parts used has been provided.

Keywords: Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, Wild edible plants.

Introduction West Bengal has wide range of wild plant species whose leaves, flowers, and fruits are used as raw or Plants for human consumption accounts for about 5% cooked (Biswas and Paul, 2002; Arunachalam et al., of the total plant species of the world (Asfaw and 2007; Bandyopadhyay and Mukherjee, 2009; Biswas Tadesse, 2001). These plants can come to rescue as et al., 2011; Biswas and Mondal, 2012; Chowdhury food at times of disasters, droughts and famines and Mukherjee, 2012; Banerjee et al., 2013; (Debabrata, 2002). of Gorumara National Park Chowdhury et al., 2014). (GNP) provides large number of plants whose fruits, seeds, tubers, leaves, barks, flowers etc. make an The Duars region of West Bengal is inhabited by important contribution to the diet of wild animals mixed tribes. Since early times, edible wild fruits have (Ranjan and Kumar, 2011), local people and tribes. played a very vital part in supplementing the diet of Forest has a large and indispensable role in improving the people and to meet their basic need of food, mostly the food security and livelihood of the tribal society the tribal people, and some of which are preserved for (Yesodharan and Sujana, 2007). Since, wild edible use in dry period or sold in rural market (Deshmukh plants are freely accessible within natural habitats. andWaghmode, 2011). They also form an additional Indigenous people have more knowledge in gathering income (for small landholders and landless) living and preparing food items from these wild plant near forest and fringes through sale in local market resources (Somnasang and Moreno-Black, 2000). A (Pradheep et al., 2016; Khruomo and Deb, 2018). large number of wild spices used by the tribal in Wild edible plants contribute immensely to the meeting their daily requirement are through the nutrition of the local inhabitants of the region (Irfan, diverse vegetation of that area. 2018).

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The Gorumara National Park (GNP) is one of the two ranges viz., Gorumara south range and Gorumara oldest reserve in India. Since 1895, the area north range; 6 Beats viz., Gorumara, Dhupjhora, was recognized as reserve forest and later in the year Bichabhanga, Ramsai in south range and Murti, 1949, it was declared as Wildlife Sanctuary and Khunia in north range; 7 camps (check post) viz., afterwards it was declared as National Park in 1994. Bamni, Gorati, Zero, Bundh, Medla, Chukchuki in The area has excellent climatic and edaphic factors south range and Tondu in north range. There are 13 which support the luxuriant growth of the trees and revenue villages, 04 forest villages and 05 tea gardens climbers. The dense forest and suitable niche have around the park. rendered protection of several threatened and endangered species of plants and animals. Apart from The floristic composition of the park was studied the plant diversity, park acts as a gene pool reserve for through extensive field surveys from 2008 to 2012 and the great Indian one horned rhinoceros. GNP provides enumerated 350 taxa under 260 genera belonging to a beautiful view of watching and wildlife and 90 families of angiosperms (Ranjan and Kumar, scenic landscape to the visitors. 2020). The present study was undertaken to document the wild edible plants as a source of sustainable The park is situated in of West resources for food while working on floristic Bengal and lies between 26º47'25.6" -26º43'25.6" N assessment of Gorumara National Park (GNP). All and 88º52'4.2" -88°47'7.3" E and 120-130 m elevation. plant specimens after following herbarium technique It is bounded in the north by Batabari- road, and proper identification are kept at Central National in south by Bichabhanga road, in the east by Jaldhaka Herbarium (CAL). A list of these plants along with river and in the west by NH-31. It covers an area of ca. their family, phenology and parts used has been 79 km2 and for administrative set up it is divided into provided in Table 1.

Table 1: Wild edible plants of Gorumara National Park.

Sl. Voucher Name of species Name of family Phenology Edible part/s No. specimen Alternanthera sessilis Young leaves VK & AK 1 Amaranthaceae Throughout (L.) R.Br. ex DC. and shoot 44435 Young leaves VK & AK 2 Amaranthus spinosus L. Amaranthaceae May Sep. – and shoot 44605 Artocarpus VK & AK 3 Moraceae Feb. Jun. Fruits heterophyllus Lam. – 49969 Azadirachta indica A. VK & AK 4 Meliaceae Mar. Jun. Young leaves Juss. – 49965 VK & AK 5 Bauhinia purpurea L. Caesalpiniaceae Sep. Feb. Flowers – 45323 Bridelia stipularis (L.) VK & AK 6 Euphorbiaceae Sep. Mar. Fruits Blume – 45289 Callicarpa arborea VK & AK 7 Verbenaceae May Sep. Bark Roxb. – 44498 Castanopsis indica VK & AK 8 Fagaceae Sep. Feb. Nuts (Roxb. ex Lindl.) A.DC. – 44623 Centella asiatica (L.) VK & AK 9 Apiaceae Aug. Jan. Leaves Urb. – 44699 VK & AK 10 Chenopodium murale L. Chenopodiaceae Dec. Mar. Leaves – 45340 Citrus aurantifolia VK & AK 11 Rutaceae Nov. Mar. Fruits (Chirstm.) Swingle – 50045 Combretum decandrum VK & AK 12 Combretaceae Nov. Feb. Bark Jacq. – 45374 Commelina Young leaves VK & AK 13 Commelinaceae Sep. Nov. benghalensis L. – and shoot 44485 2 Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2020). 7(12): 1-5

Desmodium triflorum VK & AK 14 Fabaceae Sep. Feb. Leaves (L.) DC. – 44602 VK & AK 15 Dillenia indica L. Dilleniaceae Mar. Apr. Sepals – 45445 VK & AK 16 Dioscorea bulbifera L. Dioscoreaceae Jul. Nov. Aerial bulbs – 44510 Young leaves VK & AK 17 Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. Asteraceae Throughout and shoot 44648 VK & AK 18 Ficus hispida L.f. Moraceae Jan. Jun. Figs – 44686 Glinus oppositifolia (L.) Young leaves VK & AK 19 Molluginaceae Dec. Feb. DC. – and shoot 45332 VK & AK 20 Lantana camara L. Verbenaceae May Sep. Fruits – 44641 VK & AK 21 Litchi chinensis Sonn. Sapindaceae Feb. May Fruits – 45348 Maesa indica (Roxb.) A. Leaves and VK & AK 22 Myrsinaceae Feb. May DC. – fruits 44483 Melastoma VK & AK 23 Melastomataceae Sep. Mar. Fruits malabathricum L. – 44468 VK & AK 24 Momordica charantia L. Cucurbitaceae Aug. Nov. Fruits – 44643 Flowers and VK & AK 25 Moringa oleifera Lam. Moringaceae Jan. Jun. – fruits 45313 Mussaenda roxburghii Leaves and VK & AK 26 Rubiaceae Sep. Mar. Hook.f. – flowers 44583 Nyctanthes arbor-tristis VK & AK 27 Oleaceae Sep. Feb. Leaves L. – 49937 Nymphaea nouchali Stalk and VK & AK 28 Nymphaeaceae Throughout Burm.f. flowers 44664 VK & AK 29 Oxalis corniculata L. Oxalidaceae Jan. Aug. Fruits – 49948 Peperomia pellucida VK & AK 30 Piperaceae Feb. Oct. Fruits (L.) Kunth – 44615 Phlogacanthus Leaves and VK & AK 31 thyrsiformis (Roxb. ex Acanthaceae Nov. Mar. – fruits 45224 Hardw.) Mabb. VK & AK 32 Piper longum L. Piperaceae Jan. Aug. Fruits – 45210 VK & AK 33 Piper nigrum L. Piperaceae Aug. Oct. Fruits – 49968 VK & AK 34 Psidium guajava L. Myrtaceae Apr. Jul. Fruits – 49967 Rhynchotechum VK & AK 35 ellipticum (Wall. ex D. Gesneriaceae Sep. Feb. Leaves – 44445 Dietr.) A. DC. Saurauia punduana VK & AK 36 Saurauiaceae Apr. Sep. Fruits Wall. – 45428 Saurauia roxburghii VK & AK 37 Saurauiaceae Mar. Sep. Fruits Wall. – 44427

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Schima wallichii (DC.) VK & AK 38 Theaceae Apr. Oct. Leaves Korth. – 44545 Schisandra grandiflora VK & AK 39 (Wall.) Hook.f. & Schisandraceae Jul. Sep. Fruits – 50001 Thomson VK & AK 40 Sesamum indicum L. Pedaliaceae Sep. Oct. Seeds – 49949 Young leaves VK & AK 41 Solanum nigrum L. Solanaceae Sep. Feb. – and shoot 45320 VK & AK 42 Sterculia villosa Roxb. Sterculiaceae Feb. Jun. Seeds – 45252 Stixis suaveolens VK & AK 43 Capparaceae Oct. Feb. Fruits (Roxb.) Pierre – 45293 Syzygium praecox VK & AK 44 (Roxb.) Rathakr. & N.C. Myrtaceae Nov. Feb. Fruits – 44525 Nair Terminalia bellirica VK & AK 45 Combretaceae Throughout Fruits (Gaertn.) Roxb. 44619 Tetrastigma serrulatum VK & AK 46 Vitaceae Jun. Oct. Leaves (Roxb.) Planch. – 45392 Thunbergia grandiflora VK & AK 47 Acanthaceae Aug. Nov. Leaves Roxb. – 44455 Trichosanthes VK & AK 48 Cucurbitaceae Aug. Dec. Fruits cucumeriana L. – 49990 Typhonium trilobatum VK & AK 49 Araceae May Jun. Leaves (L.) Schott – 49964 VK & AK 50 Ziziphus jujuba Mill. Rhamnaceae Sep. Feb. Fruits – 49958

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Subject: Botany Quick Response Code DOI:10.22192/ijarbs.2020.07.12.001

How to cite this article: Anant Kumar and Vinay Ranjan. (2020). Wild edible plants of Gorumara National Park, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. 7(12): 1-5. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijarbs.2020.07.12.001

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