PROSPECT OF INDIGENOUS PERENNIAL PLANTS AS SOURCE OF VEGETABLE

Rich biodiversity in perennial plants for vegetable purposes exists worldwide. Indigenous perennial plants that are used for vegetables can be grouped into three broad categories based on fruits used as vegetables, plant parts used as vegetables and traditional perennial vegetables. The important plants whose fruits are in general used as vegetables are Artocarpus altilis, A. heterophyllus, A. lakoocha, Bassia latifolia, Capparis decidua, Carissa carandas, Cordia myxa, Dillenia indica, Emblica officinalis, Garcinia indica, Musa spp., Parkia roxburghii, Prosopis cineraria, Punica granatum, Spondias pinnata, etc. Similarly some important perennial plants whose plant parts are predominantly used for vegetable purposes are Bambusa spp., Moringa oleifera, Murraya koenigi, Sauropus androgynus and Sesbania gradiflora. Indigenous perennial plants that are traditionally cultivated only for vegetable purposes are Basella alba, Coccinia indica/ C. cordifolia, Momordica cochinchinensis, M. dioica and Trichosanthes dioica. Even though the current exploitation of many plants by the rural and tribal populations is restricted in the areas of their origin, some of them have shown equal acceptability among the urban population. Many of the above plants are known for high nutritional and medicinal values.