ABSTRACT
76Present study reports 483 species ofedible plants which are distributed in 281 genera and 118 families. Among 118 families, Agaricaceae, Diplocystaceae (Fungi), Adiantaceae, Marsileaceae, Parkeriaceae, Polypodiaceae, Thelypteridaceae (Pteridophyta), Cycadaceae, Gnetaceae, Pinaceae (Gymnospermae) are from other groups while 109 families belong to Angiospermae. Ten dominant families which are consumed for edible foods in Indo-Gangetic plains and Central India are Leguminosae (25), Poaceae (15), Moraceae (12), Amaranthaceae (12), Rubiaceae (12), Rhamnaceae (9), Cucurbitaceae (9), Amaryllidaceae (9), Euphorbiaceae (9), and Tiliaceae (8). A total of 30 families represented with single species and monogeneric. Of the total taxa recorded for wild edible foods, 31% are trees, 8% shrubs, 10% climbers and 51% are herbs. In all the edible plants, leaves and petiole of 131 plant species, fruits of 191 plant species (including unripe and ripe), underground parts of 61 plant species (including rhizome, tubers, corms, stolon, bulbs, root and root stock), seeds of 62 plant species, flowers of 23 plant species, stems and shoots of 23 plant species and whole plants of 11 plant species are consumed by ethnic people of Indo-Gangetic plains and Central India.
