Ethnobotanical study of wild edible vegetables used in agri-foods and traditional medicine in the Ogun Waterside Nigeria

In recent decades, there has been an alarming decline in the traditional knowledge of wild edible plants. This study was undertaken to specifically document the awareness and understanding of wild edible vegetables (WEVs) within 11 rural communities in Ogun Waterside, Nigeria. The survey was conducted among 120 informants through a semi-structured questionnaire where 32 species from 26 genera and 15 families, mainly creepers (6.25%), climbers (12.5%), shrubs (12.5%), trees (12.5%), and herbs (56.25%), were carefully collected and identified. The results obtained revealed that the most used parts for both nutritional and therapeutic uses were the leaves (58.97%), seeds (12.82%), stems (10.26%), fruits (7.69%), bulbs (5.13%), and rhizomes (5.13%). The most commonly used plant species as foods were Vernonia amygdalina (92) Celosia argentea (88), Talinum triangulare (86), Telfairia occidentalis (80), and Corchorus olitorius (74) as well as remedies for various diseases such as diabetes, anaemia, dystocia, infertility, and blood impurities. Additionally, this study unveiled that a higher level of knowledge on WEVs was found among men, the elderly, the illiterate, married people, and those engaged in traditional medicine practices. This work could be a basis to be reproduced in other parts of Nigeria and be widened through nutritional and pharmacological studies to promote and conserve these important natural resources.