Natural Product Radiance, Vol. 8(1), 2009, pp.64-72 Green page: Research Paper

Wild edible of Koch Bihar district, S Bandyopadhyay1 and Sobhan Kr Mukherjee2* 1Department of Botany, K.N. College, Berhampore, Murshidabad- 742 101, West Bengal, India 2Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, Nadia - 741 235, West Bengal *Correspondent author, E-mail: [email protected] Received 28 September 2007; Accepted 13 February 2008 Abstract communities and other inhabitants of this Koch Bihar, a district of North-eastern part of the state of West Bengal, is inhabited by district as a chief source of daily food. Rajbanshi or Koch tribe which constitutes about 40% of total population of the district. The other tribal communities are Kheria, Oraon, Rabha and Santhal. Most of them are village Materials and Methods dwellers and depend on or plant products to maintain their livelihood. Ethnobotanical field studies reveals that the ethnic people as well as the other inhabitants of the district have considerable The present work is the outcome traditional knowledge of wild edible plants and their utilization. During the field study 125 plant of ethnobotanical field survey of species belonging to 102 genera under 54 families have been recorded which are commonly used 5 consecutive years (1995-2000) from by the ethnic communities and other inhabitants as wild edible. different tribal villages of Koch Bihar Keywords: Koch Bihar district, West Bengal, Wild edible plants. district. Among the inhabitants, IPC code; Int. cl.8— A23L 1/00, A23L 1/052 knowledgeable persons primarily the aged ones, ethnic men and women were Introduction the capacity of share croppers, agricultural interviewed. The first hand information Koch Bihar district lies in the labourers and small farmers. on wild edible plant species, part(s) used, North-eastern part of the state of The principal meals of all ethnic vernacular name(s), English name (E) West Bengal in between 26º32′46″ to communities consist of Bhat i.e. boiled and mode of utilization was collected 25º57′57″ North latitude and 89º52′00″ rice with boiled leafy vegetables (Sag) mainly from the tribal people residing in to 88º45′02″ East longitude. The total from their surroundings. They fully the interior forest area. Voucher specimens area of the district is 3, 3386 sq km. The depend on wild leafy vegetables, flowers, have been deposited in the herbarium of district is surrounded by Jalpaiguri district fruits, etc. which they collect from the Pharmacognosy section, Botanical Survey of West Bengal in northern and most part nearby forest areas or village surroundings of India, Howrah (CAL). Vernacular of western side. The southern boundary and they also dig out underground parts names of the plant species were obtained of the district is very much indented and whenever necessary. Besides their own from the following ethnic and other local is formed by the Rangpur district of consumption, selling of wild leafy people such as Kheria (K), Oraon (O), Bangladesh. The eastern boundary is vegetables, tubers, fruits, seeds, etc. in the Rabha (Ra), Raj banshi (Rj), Santhal formed by the Goalpara district of . local 'Huts' (Markets) is a common (S) and Bengali (B). Common English The major ethnic community of practice among tribal community and by names (E) of the plants are also given, if the district is Rajbanshi or Koch which selling these; they secure a little money available. constitute about 40% of total population which brings some relief to their of the district. The other tribal depressed economic condition. Results and Discussion communities are Kheria, Oraon, A perusal of literature1-5 reveals In the present work wild edible Rabha and Santhal. Most of them are that not much work has been done on the plants of Koch Bihar district are village dwellers and agriculture is the wild edible plants of Koch Bihar district enumerated in the Table 1, in which main economic pursuit of all the ethnic alone, hence the present work has been botanical name of the plants are communities of the district. Their undertaken to record the plants, which arranged alphabetically followed by family participation in agriculture is mainly in are commonly used by the ethnic name, vernacular name(s), life form of the

64 Natural Product Radiance Green page: Research Paper egetable egetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Chewed with betel leaf Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable nder leaves wigs wigs Fruits LeavesLeaves Used as v Leaves Seeds and corm Fruits Used as v Flowers and H Leaves and flowers (K); H shoots Tender Cooked as vegetable Potari (Rj); H (Ra); (E) and leaves

Tampala (B); H T (B); Khuria-Kanta (S); Monkey Jack (E) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten

Mamaruk (B); Pink bauhinia or T (B) C Ripe fruits Eaten raw by the children Sanchesag (B); Bamboo (E) T shoots Tender Used as vegetable

(B); Golden bamboo or Tshoots Tender vegetable as Cooked (B); (B); Ambrette plant or H (S) T Ripe fruits Eaten by the children (B); Ash gourd (E) C

(S); Giant taro (E) Hstock Root vegetable as Used (S) S Ripe fruits Eaten raw by the children

or (Rj); (B); Wild amaranth or H (Rj, Ra, K, B); Pineapple (E) Hfruits Ripe raw Eaten (B) H Roots Boiled and eaten

(B); Thyme leaved gratiola (E) H Whole Plantvegetable as Cooked (Rj) H T (B); Areca nut or Betel (E) T (B); Cutch tree (E) T Gumleaf betel with Taken (B); Bullock's heart (E) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten

(B); Bamboo (E) Tshoots Tender vegetable as Cooked (B); Thorny bamboo (E) Tshoots Tender vegetable as Used (B); Bamboo (E) Tshoots Tender vegetable as Cooked

(B); Margosa tree or Neem (E) T (B); Elephant-foot yam (E) H Te

Ol Musk mallow (E) Helencha Natoan Kanta-note Bon-note Green amaranth (E) Bon bhendi Khair Barmasag Prickly amaranth (E) Lal-note or Lal sag Chinese spinach or Amaranth (B); Country mallow (E) Mankachu Brahmi Bans Balaka bans Bans Deo-phal, Dool Satamul Nim Nona Matha arak Kuntiphal Supari Jangli-angur Anarash Chal kumra Bans Basini bans Feathery bamboo (E) Rakto kanchan Camel's foot (E)buds flower / / Poaceae /Araceae / / Malvaceae / / Malvaceae (Dennst.) Table 1: Wild edible plants of Koch Bihar District, West Bengal 1: Wild edible plants of Koch Bihar District, West Table / Mimosaceae / Bromeliaceae (Mart.) / Moraceae / Amaranthaceae / Meliaceae / Amaranthaceae / Poaceae / Asparagaceae (Fig.8) / Amaranthaceae / Caesalpiniaceae Medic. / Poaceae / Poaceae / Myrsinaceae / Annonaceae / Euphorbiaceae (Fig.7) (Retz.) Willd. (Wall.) (Linn.) R. Br. ex DC (Linn.) R. Br. (Linn.) G. Don

Linn.

/Poaceae Roxb. Linn. Willd. Linn. / Arecaceae Linn. (Thunb.) Cogn. A. Juss. Linn. Roxb. Retz. Roxb.

Schrad. (Linn.) Penn.

Munro (Linn.) Sweet

(Linn.) Merr. (Linn.f.) Willd. Roxb. Linn. / Araceae / Vitaceae (Fig.6) /Amaranthaceae (Fig.3)/Amaranthaceae Alligator weed (E) Cucurbitaceae Bambusa vulgaris Bauhinia purpurea Benincasa hispida Abutilon indicum Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Fig.1) Griseb. Alternanthera sessilis Amaranthaceae (Fig.4) Amaranthus spinosus (Fig.5) Amaranthus tricolor Amaranthus viridis Abelmoschus moschatus Acacia catechu Alocasia macrorrhiza Alternanthera philoxeroides (Fig.2) Scrophulariaceae Bambusa arundinacea Bacopa monnieri Bambusa balcooa Azadirachta indica Bambusa pallida Bambusa tulda Artocarpus lakoocha Asparagus racemosus acidum Annona reticulata Ardisia solanacea Areca catechu Planch. Ananas comosus Ampelocissus barbata Nicolson 25 26 27 2 10 6 7 8 9 S. No.S. Botanical name/Family1 name(s) Vernacular Life form Part(s) used Mode of utilization 3 4 5 21 20 22 19 23 24 17 18 14 13 15 16 12 11

Vol 8(1) January-February 2009 65 Green page: Research Paper ement egetable egetable Chewed with betel leaf making pickles Eaten raw Cooked as vegetable Eaten raw by the children Eaten raw Eaten raw by the children Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable ubers ubers Seeds Fruits Eaten raw and used in Flowers and seeds oil extracted from seeds Leaves calyxSucculent Used in making pickles Leaves Leaves As flavouring el LeavesLeavesLeaves Used as v Used as v Flowers and seeds (O); Indian H

(B); Asiatic C T (B) S Fruits (B); Jaw's Hleavesand Twigs vegetable as Cooked (B); Indian T (B); Potato C T (K); Sago, Toddy or(K); Sago, Toddy T (K); Arum (E) Hleavesand Rhizome vegetable as Cooked Khudimuni Mathara Chupri alu (B); Quail grass (E) H Ban alu

(B); Lamb's quarters (E) H (S); Hogweed or H (S) C Leaves Amaltash (B); Korai fruit or Cfruitsand Leaves vegetable as Used (B) C Fruits (B); Solid bamboo or Tshoots Tender vegetable as Cooked (B); Sebesten or Clammy Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten (B); Karaunda (E) T Kittul

Taro (B);

or or (B); Indian cassia or Lignea (E) T (B); Jute or White jute (E) H or (B); Indian mustard (E) Hplants Whole edible vegetable; as Cooked (S) S Fruits (S,O);

(B.); Flame of the forest or T

(B) T Fruits (B); Elephant apple (E) T (B);

(O); (B) C Leaves and fruits Cooked as vegetable (B); Palmyra palm (E) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten Sondali Fish-Tail palm (E) Fish-Tail Khunti Chao Karamcha Bengal Kino (E) Dahiya Kosai Harinhara Mala Palash Yam or Air potato (E) Tal Sarisha Khamalu Mete alu yam or Greater (E) Punarnava Chata Karail bus Mitha pat or Desipat mallaw (E) Bahubara cherry (E) Titapat Tejpata Tejpata Bodlarnari Ivy gourd (E) Kocu Thankuni Talakucha Pennywort (E) Bathua sag laburnum, or Purging fistula (E) Swet morog (Fig. 12) / / Lauraceae (Fig. 13) /Fabaceae / Apiaceae /Araceae (Fig. 11) / Cucurbitaceae / Verbenaceae / Brassicaceae / Tiliaceae / Chenopodiaceae / Ehretiaceae / Dioscoreaceae / Tiliaceae / Arecaceae / Euphorbiaceae / Nyctaginaceae Vahl (Roxb.) / Apocynaceae / Euphorbiaceae / Apocynaceae / Amaranthaceae Linn. Linn. / Dioscoreaceae (Linn.) Naud. / Dilleniaceae Nees. & Eberm. / Vitaceae Linn. Linn. Linn. Linn. /Arecaceae (Lam.) Taub.

/ Caesalpiniaceae (Linn.) Schott

Blume Forst. f. Linn. Linn. (Linn.) Urban Linn. (Linn.) Voigt

(Linn.) Coss.

Linn. Spreng. Linn. Roxb. Linn.

Linn. / Poaceae/ Mafe bamboo (E) Nees Corchorus olitorius Cordia dichotoma Dendrocalamus strictus Colocasia esculenta Corchorus capsularis Centella asiatica Cinnamomum tamala Cissus adnata Coccinia grandis Chenopodium album Celosia argentea Cassia fistula Carissa spinarum Caryota urens Callicarpa macrophylla Carissa carandas (Fig.10) Bridelia retusa Bridelia stipularis Bryonopsis laciniosa Cucurbitaceae Butea monosperma Brassica juncea Dioscorea alata Dioscorea bulbifera (Fig.9)Borassus flabellifer Horse-purslane (E) Boerhaavia diffusa Dillenia indica 48 49 50 46 47 41 43 44 45 42 40 39 37 38 35 36 31 32 33 34 30 52 53 29 S. No.S. Botanical name/Family28 name(s) Vernacular Life form Part(s) used Mode of utilization 51

66 Natural Product Radiance Green page: Research Paper pickles ed as vegetable Boiled and taken with salt Cooked as vegetable Boiled and taken with salt Used as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Roasted Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Used as flavouring agent obtained from fruit used in making chapati twigs twigs ubers Us Fruits Leaves Fruits immature leaves Leaves Fruits (B) H Leafy (S) H Whole plant Cooked as vegetable (Ra) H

(B) T Receptacle Cooked as vegetable (B); Potato C T (B) C Tubers (B) C Leaves (B); Barnyard H (B) H Leaves Duserasag Hibanchi (B); Cluster fig (E) T. Receptaclevegetable as Cooked Dumar

Ban alu (B) Bastard cedar (E) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten

Shama Kata alu (Or); Crow foot grass H (S); Kokoaru (B); Swamp cabbage (E) H (B) H Leaves Kala Kesuri

(E) making (Ra); Puneala plum (E) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten (B) H Young and Cooked as vegetable or

(B); (B); Heliotope tree (E) Tfruits Ripe children by raw Eaten (B) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten or (Ra); Indian mock or Yellow Hfruits Ripe children the by raw Eaten (B); Ramontchi or Sfruits Ripe children by raw Eaten (Rj); Buckwheat (E) Hfruitsand Leaves flavour vegetable; as Cooked (B); Phalsa (E) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten (Rj); (B); Emblic or Indian Tfruits Unripe in used also raw, Eaten (B); Niger-seed or Rantil (E) (B); Niger-seed H (S); (B); (B); Ceylon olive (E) Tfruits Unripe pickles making in Used

(B) H Leafy (Ra); (B); Indian persimmon (E) Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten Kesut Kulaaja Jalpai Chamghas Amlaki Haldier straw berry (E) Sema Denkisag Mete alu Yam or Air potato (E) Bon alu Gub Kolmi-sak Bania Kulekhara Kusum Gima Phalsa Dhamin Bainchi Belakota Punornova Nepaltunth Jogya dumur Madagascar plum (E) Hinchya Brombho dhone Dhemsi Polygonaceae Khoksa . eae gooseberry (Roxb.) / Asteraceae / Rosaceae / / Asteraceae serrata / Dioscoreaceae

syn. / Elaeocarpaceae / Dioscoreaceae / Apiaceae (Fig. 15) var. / Convolvulaceae / Rubiaceae Moench / Sterculiaceae / Asteraceae (Linn.)

/ Tiliaceae / Acanthaceae Linn. (Retz.) Sw. (Desr.) Linn. / Tiliaceae / Moraceae / Poaceae (Lour.) Raeusch. (Lour.) (Linn.) A. DC. / Moraceae / Molluginaceae Linn./ Euphorbiac (Linn. f.) Cass. Linn. Lam. Gaertn. Roxb. Lour. R. Br. R. Br. (Buch.-Ham.) M.R

(Anders.) Focke Forsk. Dennst.

Vahl (Burm.f.) Merr. (Linn.) Linn. Linn. Linn. Linn.

Linn. Linn. f. / Ehretiaceae / Poaceae millet (E) / Ebenaceae Ehretia acuminata P. Beauv. P. Eclipta prostrata (Fig.14)Emblica officinalis or Crab grass (E) Echinochloa crus-galli Jhonston Elaeocarpus serratus Eleusine indica Duchesnea indica Dryopteridaceae Dioscorea pentaphylla Diplazium esculentum Dioscorea hispida Kostel. Diospyros malabarica Almeida & S.M. Ipomoea aquatica Hedyotis scandens Hygrophila schulli Grewia tiliaefolia Glinus oppositifolius Guazuma ulmifolia Flacourtiaceae Glinus lotoides Molluginaceae Grewia asiatica Flacourtia indica Flacourtiaceae Flacourtia jangomas Guizotia abyssynica Ficus racemosa Eryngium foetidum Phyllanthus emblica Enhydra fluctuans Fagopyrum esculentum Ficus hispida 61 60 64 59 62 63 58 55 57 S. No.S. Botanical name/Family54 name(s) Vernacular Life form Part(s) used Mode of utilization 56 80 78 79 75 73 76 72 74 70 71 77 69 66 65 67 68

Vol 8(1) January-February 2009 67 Green page: Research Paper Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable making pickles Cooked as vegetable fruits eaten raw Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Used as flavouring agent Eaten raw twigs Flowers Used as vegetable Leaves Used as vegetable fruit; ripe fruit cooked as vegetable; ripe Leaves Seeds HH Peduncles Peduncles (B) T Flowers Used as vegetable

(S) H Young leaves Used as vegetable Sona (Ra, K) Sfruits Ripe raw Eaten (B); T (B) S Ripe fruits Eaten raw by children (Ra); S

(Rj) S

(B); Small C Unripe fruits Cooked as vegetable (S); T Ripe fruits Eaten raw and also used in (B); Kadam (E) Tfruits Ripe children by raw Eaten

(B) C Unripe fruits Used as vegetable (Ra); Mainphal Jilipiphal (Ra) H Bulbs also used for Eaten raw, (Ra) H leafy twigs Tender Cooked as vegetable

Kanta saru Titaphul Kadam Makoi Barachali Kakrol or Khadi neem (B) H Leaves Kumbanli (B);

Ban Karola Laffa (B); Sun berry (E) Hfruits Ripe raw Eaten Tenga (B); (B); Indian blue water-lily (E) (B); Indian blue water-lily (B); (Rj); (S);

(B); Banana (E) Hunripe Rhizome; fruit unripe and Rhizome (S); (B) T Young leaves Used as vegetable (Rj); (K); (B) H Whole plant Cooked as vegetable (B) S Ripe fruits Eaten raw by children

(B) H Leafy (B) C Leaves

(B); Indian red water-lily (E) (B); Indian red water-lily (B); (Rj); Indian Rhododendron (E) Hfruits Ripe children by raw Eaten (B); (B); Wild date palm or Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten (Ra) H/S (B);

(Rj);

Golkakra Karol Ramjani Lapha Kaitbel Elephant-apple or apple (E)Sushni shak Phukti Moina Kata pickles making Katakachu Jalkusum Halkasa Rambasak Amrul Gandal Ameta Kadamba Kalagach Shaluk Nil Shaluk Surimala Narshim Curry leaf tree (E) Sandiome Bongima Khejur Date sugar palm (E) Bon tepari Dekani babla / / / / / Rutaceae / /Annonaceae / /Bignoniaceae / Arecaceae / Rubiaceae / Lamiaceae / Nymphaeaceae Linn. (Roxb.) Nees Rutaceae / Nymphaeaceae (Roxb.) (Roxb.) Leenh. Rees

(Forssk.) ./Malvaceae / Musaceae / Marsileaceae / Solanaceae (Fig. 21) (Roxb.) / Oxalidaceae

(Linn.) H. Gross Burm.f. (Roxb.) Thw.

Linn./ (Linn.) Vent. / Caryophyllaceae Willd. / Araceae

Linn (Lour.) Merr. (Lour.) /Myrsinaceae

Roxb. ex Willd. (Linn.) Spreng. (Linn.) Roxb.

DC.

Linn. Colla

Linn. Roxb. ex Link / Cucurbitaceae Wall. Linn.

/Rubiaceae (Fig. 18) /Mimosaceae Manila tamarind (E) (Lour.) Spreng. (Lour.) Momordica dioica Momordica cochinchinensis Cucurbitaceae (Fig. 17)Murraya koenigii (E) bitter-gourd Maesa indica Malva verticillata Marsilea minuta Melastomataceae (Fig. 16) Meyna spinosa Limonia acidissima Melastoma malabathricum Lasia spinosa Sapindaceae Leucas lavandulaefolia Lepisanthes rubiginosa Acanthaceae (Fig. 20) Phoenix sylvestris Polygonaceae Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus Rubiaceae (Fig. 19) Persicaria chinensis Oxalis corymbosa Paederia scandens Neolamarckia cadamba Nymphaea stellata Oroxylum indicum Bosser Nymphaea nouchali Musa balbisiana Benth. Polyalthia suberosa Aschers. & Schwienf. Polycarpon prostratum Physalis minima Pithecellobium dulce 91 90 92 85 86 87 89 84 88 S. No.S. Botanical name/Family81 83 name(s) Vernacular Life form Part(s) used Mode of utilization 82 102 101 100 98 99 94 96 97 95 93 105 106 103 104

68 Natural Product Radiance Green page: Research Paper egetable egetable Eaten cooked Eaten cooked Cooked as vegetable Cooked as vegetable Eaten raw Roasted used in making pickles Cooked as vegetable ves; fruitsves; Leaves cooked as vegetable; Leaves LeavesLeaves and flowers Used as v FlowersLeaves Used as v Leaves andunripe fruits Used as vegetable Leaves Fruits (Ra) H

(B); C (B) H Leaves (S) H Whole plant Cooked as vegetable (B) C Unripe fruits Cooked as vegetable

(B); H Whole plant Cooked as vegetable (Rj); T Lea Jungli palak (B); Jackal jujube (E) S Kumarika Raniphul

Banpatol Ghet Kochu (B); Sophera senna (E) H

(S) Cfruits Ripe raw Eaten (B); (Ra) C Tetuli (B); Snake gourd (E) Cfruits Unripe vegetable as Cooked

(B) H Unripe fruits Cooked as vegetable (B); Sickle senna (E) (Rj); H (B); Baraloniya (R); (Rj); Brazilian cress or H (S) C Ripe fruits Eaten raw by children (B); Agathi, Swamp T (Ra);

(B); (O) T Seeds (S); (S)

(B); Black plum, Java plum or Tfruits Ripe raw Eaten Para cress (E) Bakphul Borousni Atkir Nakal naru Chiknisag Nune Bonpalang Chakunda Ramdatan Kontakari Common purslane (E) Kalkasunda Jam Jambolan (E) Tentul (E)tree Tamarind Chichinga Ludbudhi Ghetkul fruits eaten raw and also Durujeokha Bherser Sekul or Siakul Odal / / Myrtaceae / Sterculiaceae / Solanaceae / Rhamnaceae / Polygonaceae (Dennst.) / Cucurbitaceae / / Fabaceae Mill. / Polygonaceae / Vitaceae

/ Asteraceae / Portulacaceae Dunal / Caesalpiniaceae / Caesalpiniaceae / Smilacaceae Linn. (Lam.) Gandhi Pers. ssp.

R. Br. Linn. / Vitaceae Linn. Linn. (Linn.) (Linn.) Skeels Roxb.

Linn. Roxb. ex Smith (Linn.) Roxb. (Meisw) Rech. f. / Araceae

(Linn.) Roxb. /Cucurbitaceae (Fig. 24) Sesbania grandiflora Spilanthes oleracea Cucurbitaceae Solanum myriacanthum Solena amplexicaulis Polygonum plebium klotzschianus (Fig. 23)Smilax ovalifolia pea or Sesban (E) Portulaca oleracea Rumex dentatus Senna sophera Caesalpiniaceae (Fig. 22) Senna tora Tamarindus indica Tamarindus Trichosanthes cucumerina Linn. Typhonium trilobatum Syzygium cumini bracteolatum Tetrastigma (Wall. ex M. Laws). Planch. leucostaphylum Tetrastigma Alston ex Mabberley Trichosanthes anguina (Linn.) Schott. Ziziphus oenoplia Sterculia villosa Sterculia 119 123 124 H-Herbs; C-Climbers; S-Shrubs; T-Trees B-Bengali; E-English; K-Kheria; O-Oraon; Ra-Rabha; Rj-Raj banshi; S-Santhal 118 120 121 122 125 117 112 116 114 115 S. No.S. Botanical name/Family107 name(s) Vernacular 113 Life form Part(s) used Mode of utilization 108 109 110 111

Vol 8(1) January-February 2009 69 Green page: Research Paper

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

10 11 12 Fig. 1-12: 1. Abelmoschus moschatus; 2. Abutilon indicum; 3. Alternanthera philoxeroides; 4. Alternanthera sessilis R. Br.; 5. Amaranthus viridis; 6. Ampelocissus barbata; 7. Antidesma acidum; 8. Asparagus racemosus; 9. Boerhaavia diffusa; 10. Butea monosperma; 11. Colocasia esculenta; 12. Corchorus capsularis

70 Natural Product Radiance Green page: Research Paper

13 14 15

16 17 18

19 20 21

22 23 24 Fig. 13-24: 13. Dillenia indica ; 14. Eleusine indica; 15. Eryngium foetidum; 16. Melastoma malabathricum; 17. Momordica dioica; 18. Neolamarckia cadamba; 19. Paederia scandens; 20. Phlogacanthus thyrsiflorus; 21. Physalis minima; 22. Senna sophera ; 23. Sesbania grandiflora; 24. Ziziphus oenoplia

Vol 8(1) January-February 2009 71 Green page: Research Paper plants, part(s) used and mode of pteriodophytic plant group (2 spp.). They pressure on a particular species in utilization. consume these plants either raw or after conformity with the principles of It is estimated that in India about cooking, roasting or frying. These easily sustainable utilization of genetic 800 species are consumed as wild edible available plant species are the chief source resources. That will add a new dimension plants, chiefly by the tribal people6. of their essential nutrients such as proteins, towards traditional management and Present survey of wild edible plants of vitamins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates. conservation of plant wealth of the region. Koch Bihar district indicate that 125 plant Table 3 indicates that out of total species belonging to 102 genera under 54 125 plant species, herbs are predominant Acknowledgements families have been recorded. It is evident type of wild edible plants, followed by The authors are grateful to the from the Table 1 that ripe and unripe fruits trees and climbers. Shrubby plants are ethnic informants without whose active of different plant species are consumed used in least number of occasions. co-operation the work could not be maximum times than the other parts of It is evident from the present accomplished. Authors are also thankful the plant. study that ethnic people of Koch Bihar to Late Prof. A. K. Sarkar and Prof. G. G. A statistical analysis about the district consume fruits on maximum Maiti, Department of Botany, Kalyani wild edible plants of Koch Bihar district occasions (50), followed by leaves (37), University for suggestions and belonging to different plant groups and stems and twigs in 15 occasions, encouragement. composition of their life forms is underground parts in 11 occasions and presented in Tables 2 and 3. other parts of plants (flowers, seeds, whole References It is evident from the Table 2 that plants and others) below the level of 10 1. Jain SK and De JN, Some less known plant tribal people mainly consume dico- times in each occasion. foods among the tribals of Purulia (West tyledonous plants (98 spp.) in relation to Bengal), Sci Cult, 1964, 30, 285-286. monocotyledonous plants (25 spp.) and Conclusion The findings of the present study 2. Maji S and Sikdar JK, A taxonomic survey and systematic census on the edible wild plants of Table 2 : Conspectus of wild edible indicate that wild edible plants are closely linked with socioeconomic condition of Midnapore district, West Bengal, J Econ plants of Koch Bihar district Taxon Bot, 1982, 3, 717-737. tribal people of Koch Bihar district of West Plant Groups Family Genera Species Bengal for their day-to-day requirement. Increased overexploitation of wild edibles 3. Bhujel RB, Tamang KK and Yonzone GS, Edible Pteridophyta 02 02 02 wild plants of Darjeeling district, J Bengal may causes threat to certain species. There Dicotyledons 44 82 98 Nat Hist Soc, 1984, 3, 76-83. is an obvious need to explore wild edibles Monocotyledons 08 18 25 that can be harvested without much 4. Mukherjee CR and Ghosh RB, Useful plants Total 54 102 125 of Birbhum district, West Bengal, J Econ Taxon Bot Addl Ser, 1992, 10, 83-95. Table 3 : Composition of wild edible plant species under different categories of life forms 5. Das D, Wild food plants of Midnapore, West Bengal, during drought and flood, J Econ Plant Groups Herbs Shrubs Trees Climbers Taxon Bot, 1999, 23(2), 539-547.

Pteridophyta 02 - - - 6. Singh HB and Arora RK, Raishan (Digitaria Dicotyledons 40 10 32 16 sp.) - a minor millet of Khasi Hills, India, Monocotyledons 10 - 10 5 Econ Bot, 1978, 26, 376-380.

Total 52 10 42 21

72 Natural Product Radiance