1. ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDIES ON DIFFERENT EDIBLE WEEDS OF JAISINGHPUR (KANGRA) IN HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA by DHIRAJ S. RAWAT AND ANJNA D. KHARWAL

Abstract

Plants are the basis of life on earth and are central to people’s livelihood. Glimpses of our knowledge in ethnomedicine are available to vedic text. The work aims at the preservation of this depleting traditional knowledge. Agenda 21 of the Rio Earth Summit stated that indigenous people have a vital role in environmental management and development because of their knowledge and traditional practices. This paper deals with ethnobotanical information of 14 edible weeds of Jaisinghpur along with their phonological pattern. Weeds compete with crop plants for water, light and nutrition. They tend to persist in spite of man’s effort for eradication and interfere with agricultural operations. Weeds reduce the yield and detract from the comfort of life but some of the weeds are highly medicinal, edible and has great ethnobotanical values. Wild foods are rich source of carbohydrates such as the starch and free sugars, oils, proteins, minerals, ascorbic acid, and the antioxidant phenols, such as chlorogenic acid and its polymers.
KEY WORDS: Ethnomedicine, Indigenous Traditional knowledge, Biodiversity, Phenological pattern.