Natural Product Radiance, Vol. 6(1), 2007, pp.74-80 Explorer: Research Article Wild edible plants traditionally used by the tribes in the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala, India K Yesodharan* and K A Sujana Division of Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Kerala Forest Research Institute Peechi - 680 653, Thrissur, Kerala, India *Correspondent author, E-mail: [email protected] Received 29 December 2005; Accepted 18 May 2006 Abstract This paper reports an ethnobotanical investigation performed during 2003 and 2005 to collect, identify and document information on the wild food plants traditionally used by the tribes in the Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Palakkad district of Kerala state, India. Eighty three species are used by the tribes as vegetables, wild fruits, beverages or in other preparations. Wild vegetables formed the largest group which included roots, tubers, young leaves and buds, inflorescence, unripe/ ripe fruits and seeds. Analysis of the information revealed that out of 83 species, 82 belongs to Angiosperms (63 dicot and 19 monocot) and one species belongs to Gymnosperm. Among them 30 species are used as leafy vegetables, 31 species for fruits, 16 species for seeds and 10 species as food in the form of rhizomes/tubers/corms and 6 plants as food from stem/shoot. Amaranthus spinosus Linn., Centella asiatica (Linn.)Urban, Euphorbia hirta Linn., Oxalis corniculata Linn. and Mollugo pentaphylla Linn. are used by tribals more extensively. Among the wild fruits, consumption of jackfruit and mango is more common. Vigna vexillata (A. Rich.) Linn. Colocasia esculenta and Ensete superbum (Roxb.) Cheesm. are used for suppressing hunger. Many wild food plants are also used for medicinal purposes, e.g. Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicol., and Malamalasars live in the folds and Boerhaavia chinensis (Linn.) Asch. & Schweinf. and Ensete superbum. flats of the mountain terrain of the study Keywords: Wild edible plants, Vegetables, Fruits, Ethnobotany, Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary, area. They are traditionally agriculturists Kerala, India. and most of these tribes frequently collect IPC code; Int. cl.8— A61K 36/00, A23L 1/00 non wood forest products from the forests and also remain engaged in various forestry Introduction provide nutritionally valuable operations carried out by the Forest supplements in the form of ingredients, Forests have a large and Department. vegetables and beverages. Tribal groups indispensable role to play in improving Wild edible plants are much like Kadars, Malasars, Muduvans food security of tribes. Wild edible plants more important than is generally assumed are important in the livelihood strategies in the food supplies of many countries. of forest dwellers/tribal populations. Some wild foods (e.g. Sago palm) are While these foods are not widely used as staples or as basic components of accessible, locally they are of great substantial meals. Many plants used in relevance for nutrition and food security industrialized countries today were in many countries. India has a tribal originally identified and developed population of 42 million, of which some through indigenous knowledge2. 60 per cent live in forest areas and depend Trichopus zeylanicus Gaertn. subsp. 1 on forests for various edible products . travancoricus (Bedd.) Burkill used by In many situations, wild foods the Kani tribe of Kerala epitomizes the are not dietary staples. More generally they Coccinia grandis 74 Natural Product Radiance Explorer: Research Article Kerala State, India, with an extent of 274 km2 within 76o 35’ and 76o50’ E longitude and between 10o20’ and 10o26’ N latitude. The Sanctuary is contiguous with the natural forests of Sholayar and Vazhachal in Thrissur district of the state. The boundary on the East is purely an administrative one with the forest clearance running throughout the area Costus speciosus Dioscorea hispida bordered by Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary of Tamil Nadu. The Sanctuary Materials and Methods relevance of ethnobotanical research and is contiguous with forests of Anamalais, The study was conducted during from this plant scientists formulated a Nelliampathis, Sholayar, High ranges and the year 2003-2005. The aim of the study health drink known as Jeevani2. The Palani hills. The major interception of the was to explore, collect, identify and survey on wild edible plants in India are Western Ghats, namely the Palghat gap, preserve the wild and domesticated plants conducted by many research workers but lies North of this area (Map). used by tribals as food, fodder, medicine, the forests of Parambikulam Wildlife The area in general has a slope towards oil, tannin, gum, small timber, fuel, Sanctuary and surrounding areas have not West with the highest peak of fibres, furniture, tools, musical been studied from this angle1-13. The Karimalagopuram (1,438 m) descending instruments, etc. The data were collected present investigation is an attempt to to the banks of Chalakkudy River from the tribals through participatory rural record the wild food plants of this area. (439.5m). The Sanctuary includes both appraisal and questionnaire survey. The hilly terrains with undulated plateau. The paper reports a part of the study, i. e. Study area Sanctuary spreads in the Sungam and wild food plants used by the tribals of the Parambikulam Wildlife Parambikulam valleys, which are well Sanctuary. The elder persons and Sanctuary is situated in Palakkad district, known for teak plantation. also tribal medicine men (vaidyas) were 76 40 76 45 76 50 PARAMBIKULAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY 5 S 8 10 WOE 10 30 N 30 0 1.5 3 NEMMARA Kilometers DIVISION SUNGAM RANGE KERALA 7 TAMILNADU 10 10 ORUKOMBAN RANGE 4 25 PARAMBUKULAM 25 RANGE 2 3 1 CHALAKKUDY KARIMALA Parambikulam DIVISION RANGE PALAKKAD 1. Kadar’s colony KERALA 2. Earthdam colony 3. Anchan colony VAZHACHAL 4. Kuriarkutty colony DIVISION 6 5. Thekkady colony 10 6. Poopara colony 10 20 7. Sungham colony 20 8. Muppathekkar colony 76 40 76 45 76 50 Map : Tribe colonies and location map of Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary Vol 6(1) January-February 2007 75 Explorer: Research Article contacted to collect data on uses of plants. eighty two species belong to Angiosperms Many wild food plants were also Local names, plant parts used, method of and one species to Gymnosperm. Among used for various medicinal purposes. The utilization were gathered from them with them 31 species are used for fruits, 30 demarcation line between food and regard to each plant. The specimens leafy vegetables, 16 for seeds, 10 as food medicine may not always be clear. For collected were identified with the help of in the form of rhizomes/tubers/corms and example Amorphophallus floras and taxonomic revisions, 6 as food from stem/shoot(Tables 1-5 and paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicol., monographs and other available field Fig. 1). Dicots are represented by 63 Boerhaavia chinensis (Linn.) Asch. keys14-16. Identification was later species and monocots by 19 species. & Schweinf. and Ensete superbum and confirmed by matching the specimens Sometimes more than one part of the (Roxb.) Cheesm. serve as food and with the authentic specimens available at species is edible like both fruits and seeds medicines both. A. paeonifolius herbarium of Kerala Forest Research are edible in Artocarpus heterophyllus, (underground part) is used against piles; Institute, Peechi. A. hirsutus, Calamus rotang and B. chinensis is used for bronchitis and Tamarindus indica. Similarly more E. superbum is given for kidney stones. Results and Discussion than one part of the species is edible in According to Etkin wild food are During this study it was observed Bambusa bambos, Colocasia consumed not only for caloric value, but that the tribal communities of the esculenta, Coccinia grandis, Costus also for other nutrient and pharmacologic 17 Sanctuary fulfil the deficiency in food speciosus and Sarcostigma kleinii. potential . Several of the species needs by supplementing with wild food Some soecies, viz. Amaranthus reported by our informants maintained plants in their daily diet. They were well spinosus Linn., Centella asiatica their medicinal uses. Oxalis acquainted with the plants of surrounding (Linn.) Urban, Euphorbia hirta Linn., corniculata, Sarcostigma kleinii forests and knew what to eat and how to Oxalis corniculata Linn. and Mollugo Wight & Arn., Cassia obtusifolia Linn., Ensete superbum and separate harmful substances from the pentaphylla Linn. are used by tribals Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn.) edible part of plants. more extensively. Among the wild fruits, Roxb. are some more examples of Out of eighty three species of consumption of jackfruit and mango is food as well as medicinal plants. Some edible plants collected from this area, more common. plants are used to make infusions or liquors which were initially used for their medicinal properties, but 35 in most cases they eventually become 30 simply as beverages, e.g. Caryota urens 25 Linn., Borassus flabellifer 20 Linn., etc. The tribals also use many 15 mushrooms like Termitomyces 10 microcarpus (Berk. & Br.) 5 Number of species Heim, Pleurotus ostreatus (Fries) 0 Kummer, etc. and some other unidentified wood inhabiting fungi and Fruits Seeds many lichens as food. Plants like Leafy shoots Roots/Rhizomes Stem and shoots Saccharum spontaneum Linn., Calycopteris floribunda Trees Shrubs/Climbers Herbs Lam., Ensete superbum and Vigna vexillata suppress thirst or Fig. 1: Number of species of each category of food use and habit hunger. 76 Natural Product Radiance Explorer: Research Article Table 1 : Edible fruit bearing plants S. No. Scientific name Local name Habit Form of Use/Recipe 1. Aegle marmelos Corr. Koovalam Medium sized tree Raw fruit pulp 2. Ailanthus triphysa (Dennst.)Alston Mattipal, Perumaram Tree Ripe fruits 3. Alangium salvifolium (Linn.f.) Wang Ankollam Climbing shrub Edible fruits possess astringent and acidic properties 4. Antidesma montanum Blume Puliyilamaram Tree Ripe fruits 5. Artocarpus hetrophyllus Lamk Pilavu Tree Raw fruits cooked and eaten, ripe fruits are also eaten 6. Artocarpus hirsutus Lamk Anjili Tree Ripe fruits 7. Calamus rotang Linn. Cheruchooral Climbing Ripe fruits 8. Canthium rheedei DC. Malankara Stout shrub Ripe fruits 9.