A Study on Wild Underutilized Edible Plant Species of Kokrajhar District of Assam (India) Consumed as Vegetables Having Ethno Medicinal Properties

Abstract A study was attempted to take stock of the conventional underutilised edible plants available in the Kokrajhar district of Assam, NE India having ethno-medicinal properties and utilised as a source of herbal medicines by the tribal people of the district. The district is demographically inhabitted by Bodos, Rava, Koch Rajbongshi, Santhal, Orao, Muslim, Nepali, Bengali, etc., and the Bodos are the commanding inhabitants of Kokrajhar district of Assam, belonging to the schedule tribe (plain). They are mainly dependent on edible plant resources growing wild in natural habitats for their day-to-day activities. Vegetables are the protective foods that play an important role in a balanced diet. Vitamins, micronutrients, and pharmaceuticals are necessary for the correction of deficiency disorders and diseases. Utilization of underutilised edible plant resources as vegetables as well as herbal medicinal sources by the tribal communities is a common practice. However, with the change in eating habits of the people in recent times, the popularity of the same has declined among the new generations. An attempt has been made to document traditional and underutilised vegetables having medicinal properties to make the common masses aware. The methodology included a structured questionnaire, personal interviews with the village headman and knowledgeable elderly people, group meetings and discussions with both young and elderly people, women, and also the local vegetable traders. In the present study, 76 plant species belonging to 41 families have been documented, which were used as sources of vegetables and also used in the treatment of different diseases. The wealth of plant resources recognised and documented in the study included varied types of herbs, shrubs, climbers, and some trees.