title: The gathering and consumption of wild edible plants in Nhema communal area, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe.
abstract: The study documented 67 wild edible plant species belonging to 45 genera and 30 families. Anacardiaceae and Moraceae were the dominant botanical families with 6 species each. Of the reported food plants, 67.7% were fruits, 14.9% vegetables, and the remainder were edible roots, inner bark, seed kernel, juice, and gum. Of edible plants, 79.1% had multiple uses, which included medicinal and construction timber. Only 20.9% of the species were used exclusively for food. Wild edible plants are a significant contributor to the socioeconomic well-being of the local people as they contribute a recognizable source of income especially for women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biodiversity, University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa. alfred.maroyi@ul.ac.za
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maroyi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001070:Appetitive Behavior; D002648:Child; D003296:Cooking; D004032:Diet / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology*; D019448:Ethnobotany / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010945:Plants, Edible / Q000254:growth & development; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000254:growth & development; D012424:Rural Population; D012621:Seasons; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014675:Vegetables / Q000254:growth & development; D055814:Wilderness; D015030:Zimbabwe