Orissa Roots
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ISSN 2249-8516
Original Article
Ethno-botanical study of plants with edible underground parts of south Odisha,
India
Sibangini Misra and Malaya K Misra
Ecology & Floristic Lab., Department of Botany,
Berhampur University, Berhampur- 760007, Odisha India.
Email: [email protected]
Received 18 April 2014; accepted 30 April 2014
Abstract
The present paper reports the wild plants with edible underground parts of south Odisha, India. Total 37 plant species
under 26 genera and 19 families are reported. The tribal and rural people of south Odisha consume 27 wild species, 2
species that are wild as well as cultivated and 8 species are under cultivation. The taxa include 17 dicotyledonous species
under 14 genera and 13 families while monocot includes 20 species under 12 genera and 6 families. The plant species with
edible underground parts include 24 herbs, 9 twiners/ climbers, 3 shrubs and 1 under-shrub. Suggestion has been made for
improvement, conservation of plant species with edible underground parts for future potential.
2014 Universal Research Publications. All rights reserved
Key words: conservation, edible underground parts, ethnic group, ethno-botany, south Odisha.
1. Introduction
Underground stems are modified plant structures that
derive from stem tissue but exist under the soil surface.
Seedlings develop two structures or axes of growth, one
that develops upward out of the soil, called stems, and
structures that develop downward which are called roots.
The roots are modified to have root hairs and branch
indiscriminately with cells that take in water and nutrients,
while the stems are modified to move water and nutrients to
and from the leaves and flowers. Plants use underground
stems
to
multiply
their
numbers
by asexual
reproduction and to survive from one year to the next,
usually over a period of dormancy. Plants produce these
modified stems so they can survive a cold or dry period
which normally is a period of inactive growth, and when
the cold or dry period is over the plants begin new growth
from the underground stems. Being underground protects
the stems from the elements during the dormancy period,
such as freezing and thawing in winter or extreme heat and
drought in summer or fire. Different forms of underground
stem include bulb, bulbils, corm, root stock, tuber, rhizome,
stolon, etc.
One of the greatest challenges facing the world today is to
feed the ever-increasing human population. Several
countries in the tropics including India, suffer famines and
food shortage although they have the potential to produce
adequate nutritional food for their populations. Despite all
the programs on food self sufficiency at national and state
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6. Acknowledgements
We are thankful to the tribal and rural people for their help
in providing information on the traditional uses of edible
underground parts. The Head, Department of Botany,
Berhampur University is acknowledged for the laboratory
facilities. The senior author is thankful to the Department
of Science and Technology, Government of India, New
Delhi for financial support in the form of INSPIRE
fellowship.
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