Supriya Gawade and Sangita Kulkarni
Abstract
Ethnobotany is concerned with the use of local plants by the native people. Karjat tehsil of Ahmednagar district has many wild plants growing during the rainy season and preferred as tasty food by locals in their diet. The present study is undertaken to investigate the medicinal and nutritional value of edible wild plants through extensive field survey during the year 2023. Results show that 18 wild plants are used as vegetables and preferred by locals due to their medicinal value, nutrition, taste and availability. Most of them belong to Family Amaranthaceae and Asteraceae. It shows that wild edible plants are used as good alternative vegetables with nutritional and medicinal benefits compared to the commercially grown hybrid vegetables.