Ethnobotanical Wield Edible Plants and Tradition Used in Vientiane Province, Lao P.D.R

Abstract Background: Local people harvested wild edible plants to provide food and cash income for indigenous people and are of good importance to guarantee global food security. Individuals also play a significant role in maintaining the productivity and stability of indigenous ecosystems. Vientiane province, the middle part of Laos, is regarded as the biodiversity hotspot. The people who are living there have consolidated traditional knowledge about plants used. Hence, with the developing country, wild edible plants are threatening, and the associated local knowledge is in danger of being lost. However, wild plants surveys were conducted to investigate and documented the wild edible plants indigenous experience used by local people.Methods: Five-teen villages were carried out the field investigation. The information was collected using questionnaires, direct observation, individual discussion, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, group discussion, and participatory rural appraisal (PRA).Results: In this research, information about 202 wild edible plant species in 150 genera of 83 families was recorded. Most species were edible fruits (55 species), followed by young leaves (48 species). The wild edible plants are sources or fresh markets for local people, especially those living in remote areas, to procure mineral elements and vitamins. In addition, were 79 species sold as a mixture at the market. Therefore, the utilization of wild edible plants related to knowledge was according swiftly, especially in an area with the livable transportation and booming traveler.Conclusion: Local food, wild plant species are abundant and diverse in Vientiane province. The people provide food and proteins to remote areas people and also be a source of income. Hence, their associated traditional knowledge and wild edible plants are facing a variety of intimidation. So, preservation and sustainable utilization of these wild plants in this region are important. To document of these plant species might provide incipient information for conservation, probably further exploitation and will gather local indigenous knowledge.