AN ETHNOBOTANICAL SURVEY OF WILD FOOD PLANTS IN SIRJAN, KERMAN, IRAN

Abstract

Wild plant species are among the most important candidates for reinforcing food safety in the world. Worldwide increases in population and food shortages have caused the rate of hunger to rise rapidly. Therefore, there is an urgent need to review indigenous knowledge on the traditional uses of wild edible plants so as to apply this knowledge in modern agricultural policies. The current study aims to investigate and document the indigenous knowledge of the diversity of wild food species in one region of Kerman province, Iran. A total of 66 local informants were interviewed using an open, semi-structured questionnaire. Ethnobotanical data for 37 plant species belonging to 35 families was analysed using the use value (UV) index. Asteraceae with 6 species was the largest family, and leaves were the most frequently used plant part. Overall, the most favourite wild food species is Matricaria aurea (UV 1.697), followed by Capparis spinosa (UV 1.515) and Zataria multiflora (UV 1.455). Given the widespread use of wild food species and their importance in people’s daily lives, it is suggested that the conditions for the domestication and promotion of the most commonly used wild food species be further explored.