Ethnobotanical Studies on Wild Edible Plants of Tidong Valley of District Kinnaur (H.P)

The wild edibles served as a dietary supplement and medicine for thousands of years, particularly in the tribal and rural areas of the Himalayas. India is home of large number of indigeneous tribes who are still untouched by the lifestyle of this modern world. These tribal people have their own culture, tradition, language and lifestyle. The state of Himachal Pradesh is inhabitated by different tribal communities of which Kinnaura is one of them. Native people of Tidong valley in district Kinnaur are still dependent on natural plant resources and still collect root, shoot, fruits, flowers and other forest produce to supplement their main diet. A total of 44 wild food plants, belonging 38 genera and 28 families were reported from Tidong valley of which herbs, shrubs, trees and climbers are 25, 14, 4 and 1 respectively. As cultural and biological diversity are closely interlinked, the traditional knowledge of particular region has great potential to contribute to environmental conservation and management.