Abstract
There is always a need for novel, high quality, functional and inexpensive foods among consumers in the global markets. Leafy vegetables can fulfill such needs. Leafy vegetables are now used worldwide as food for their nutritional and medicinal values. In the present work an ethnobotanical survey was carried out on the utilization of edible plants by local communities of the Terai-Dooars Region of West Bengal. The information has been documented by interviewing traditional farmers, herbalists, various older men and women following different ethnobotanical methods. A total of 103 plant species under 44 families with their short botanical description, use, range of demands and cultivation status have been documented. 
Highlights
A large section of the population of the globe fulfil their nutritional requirements through the consumption of various leafy vegetables (Singh & Arora 1978)
The present work is the outcome of ethno-botanical field survey of three consecutive years from different villages and markets of Terai-Dooars region of West Bengal
54.81% are in high demand, 21.15% are in moderate demand, and 24.04% are rarely demanded
Summary
The present study was carried out in several rural and semi-urban areas of Terai-Dooars region of West Bengal, India. To record the indigenous and underutilized leafy vegetables, extensive field surveys were conducted during three consecutive years between January 2016 to March 2019. For this study several tribal villages, rural markets and agricultural fields were visited. The plant specimens were collected, mounted on herbarium sheets and identified through the available taxonomic literature, books and some relevant articles. Data was collected through a combination of tools and questionnaires. The information gathered was compared with available literature sources
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