Botanical description
A high number of WEP species were documented in the study districts. Sixty-six WEPs species composed from 50 genera and 34 families were recorded in study area. Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Amarantceace families had the highest proportion of edible plants.
The number of WEPs recorded in the present study was comparable with previous records(29), greater than the (30), but lower than (13) elsewhere studied in Ethiopia. This difference could be attributed to the main biodiversity of plant species divergent from place to place. The traditional knowledge of the people on the use of plants may be varied.
Most WEPs recorded in these studies were also recorded in Ethiopia by (31), ten species in Kemash district Beneshangulgumuz; (13), eight species and (32), seven species in Konso southern Ethiopia. Other records were found in African countries Uganda by(33),nine species;(34) 16 species in Kitui country Kenya. It may be attributed that the gathered WEPs are popular and widely available across African countries.
Growth habit
The recorded WEPs were exhibited in different forms such as trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers. The present study found that herbs (42%) were the highest growth forms, followed by shrubs (21%) and climber (20%). Trees (17%) were recorded the lowest growth form. These indicated that the use and knowledge of herbs for food and medicine might be highly associated by the community. The highest citation may be also linked that herbs were more available and easily harvested than other edible parts.
This was in agreement with other findings(35, 36) herbs was highest growth forms. In contrast with the study of (30, 37) trees was the highest growth forms whereas shrubs followed by herbs was the highest growth habit(38). These variations in growth form might be arise from different agro-ecological variations across the study area, directly affecting the composition and type of plant community.
Plant edible parts
Edible parts of fruits, leaves, root and tubers, and seed were documented WEPs in the Meinit cultural community. Leaves (65%) were the most edible parts followed by fruits (28%). Roots and tubers (6%), and seeds (1%) were the minimally consumed edible parts.
These study was contrast to the findings (39) that fruits (28%) followed by leaves (25%) and the present report also contrast to study of (40), in Bullen District North west Ethiopia where fruits had the most edible plant than leaves and tubers. Similar result was reported (41) in Uganda that herbal plant species were the highest consumed WEP part and the same report showed by (42), in Shurugwi district, Zimbabwe, that wild edible vegetables were the most consumable plant parts followed by fruits. This may be the fact that wild green vegetables are provided to an ingredient of local dish preparation and harvested easily near distance than other wild edible parts.
Mode of preparation and consumption
WEPs were prepared informs of different traditional processing and preservation methods. Some of the recorded methods were boiling, frying, and sun drying whilst consumed in forms of raw, boiled and fried.
Fruits mainly consumed raw or ripen fresh and in juice forms. This study was in agreement with the finding (37, 43) in Ethiopia that most fruit eaten fresh or raw and many leafy vegetables were consumed in boiled or cooked forms. Similar reports were also reported by (44) in Mabira Central Forest Reserve, Uganda that wild fruits were often eaten as snacks when ripe, whereas leafy vegetables were cooked to make soup.
All collected leafy vegetables were eaten boiled whilst the root and tubers were eaten boiled or fried by wood flame. Despite the drying practice of WEPs ceased today, sun drying was used to dry wild leafy vegetables such as bikut, baytena, Gingu, chaw and tikawoch to consume during off season. Similar results were reported by (45, 46) that after cooking some wild edible leafy vegetables were preserved by sun drying method to later use whereas solar drying were applied for preservation of WEPs (47).
Collection season and harvesting methods
Over 44% (29) of wild edible vegetables and roots and tubers were collected and available all-season. About 27% (18) leafy vegetables are seasonal available edible wild crops that collected or existed during the rainy season. Similar results were observed by (48),who found that wild edible vegetables were gathered following the winter and spring rainy season. These edible wild leafy vegetable picked young leaves and shoots manually from their natural habitat. This is because of wild edible vegetables growth with minimum soil moisture and have short life cycle.
The majority of fruits 20% (13) collected from late March to early June. Following short dry season, store food becomes depleted and most dry season wild fruits were collected. The present study was supported by other reports elsewhere in Ethiopia (37, 49) that fruits collected during the dry season and start of rainy period when shortage of food crops exist. These may be due to the fact that wild edible fruits are drought resilient food crops.
Root and tubers were collected during the dry season between late December to early June. Consuming the root and tubers during dry season believed that taste and palatability of roots and tubers are increased. According to studies conducted by (50) that wild edible roots and tubers mainly consumed and harvested in dry condition.
Habitat
WEPs existed in the varied agro-ecological zone and were collected from diverse habitat which including cultivated land, bushy grassland, forest, forest margin, fallow land, woody grass land and riverbank.
The majority (22%) of WEPs were collected from wild cultivated land and almost comparable number (18%) were gathered from bush grass land. A similar result was found by (51) in Uvinza Miombo Woodlands of Tanzania that the highest number of respondents cited WEPs were collected from farm or cultivated land. This is the fact that the major WEP part was herbs generally available in cultivated and bush grass lands.
In contrast to the present study by (38, 52) most WEPs were gathered from wild habitats such shrub lands, bush lands and some grasslands. These variations may be raised from difference of locality and type of collected plant that varied environmental requirements.
Food categories/WEPs use
The collected WEPs were categorized into different groups based on their use. There edible wild plants were used as vegetable, fruit, beverage, culinary use, dried product, and medicinal.
Vegetable
Composite of varied wild and cultivated vegetable were cooked together to reduce the bitterness of some wild green or during scarcity of vegetables. Similar findings were reported by (53) that wild edible vegetables are mixed with domesticated vegetables to improve the palatability. In line with present study, the findings of (54) revealed that WEPs were boiled together during time of scarcity and to increase palatability.
Wild edible vegetables are mainly boiled alone or mix of other vegetable for accompaniment of stable food such as porridge, flatten bread and stewed grain. The study was in agreement with the findings of (30) reported in Kara and Kwego people in South Omo, Ethiopia that wild vegetables cooked to sauce or porridge. Other reports showed that vegetable dishes were commonly made as relish which accompanied with maize, millet and sorghum porridge (42, 55). This shows that wild leafy green vegetables served as the side dish for accompaniment of staple food in developing country.
Fruit
About 22 wild plant species were categorized under edible fruit. The survey results showed that ripe wild fruits opportunistically gathered and eaten either raw, boiled, roasted and pounded fruit. This result is comparable with report (56) that major fruit was consumed raw, cooked with maize and sorghum flour, roasted, or boiled and processed into juice.
Beverage
Wild edibles can be served either as a component of an ingredient in making local beverage or use alone to produce homemade fruit juice. According to some KI, rach fruit juice drunk alone or served with porridge as a relish, and some locality added with Beso. This study in agreement with the study conducted in west central Ethiopia by(43), who found that WEPs served for preparing local alcoholic, non-alcoholic beverage(herbal tea), making traditional meal(bread, injera and porridge) and suit gum.
Similar reports were found by(57), Limpopo Province in South Africa, WEP species used for making non-alcoholic juices and alcoholic drinks such as traditional beer. The consistent result was also reported by(58),in Nigeria that various traditional beverages are prepared from lesser-known indigenous fruits and vegetables.
Based on some KI, godach/nigrocoffee and ogach were served as substitute of coffee. Beshayt and kushita, used as spice for chemo making. These results in agreement with the finding of (29), in Derashe and Kucha districts, South Ethiopia, reported that Lanatana rhodesiensis are served as hot drinks (coffee and tea substitutes). These results show that different sociocultural community has common traditional knowledge in the preparation of local beverage from WEPs.
Culinary use/ Spice and condiment
Wild herbs and shrubs were added to local dish as a spice for food colorant, aroma and taste. The study depicted that few WEP species such as beshayte, kushita/ kese and solosolo were sometimes used as spice and condiments. Similar results were observed by (59, 60) that some aromatic WEPs serves as condiments and spice for a local dish.
Medicinal value
Meinit ethnic communities have been utilized plants for human and livestock medication. WEPs are not only to provide dietary nutrient but also provided a medicine for the rural community.
This study revealed that about 18% of gathered edible wild plants have both food and medicinal value. For instance, chaw, gagut, karafurchit, welbete, muchakerech, kemjach, aurachech, and garut were recorded as food-medicinal plants. Food -medicinal plant species were served to treat range of ailments of humans such as mosquito bites, snake bites, inflammation, headache, stomachache, chest ache, wound healing and deworm. Comparable results were found by (42, 61) that some WEPs were served both food and medicinal use. As the KI believed that consuming chaw leaves has a good taste and medicinal value such as stomachache, constipation and good for diabetic patient. Other studies conducted by (62, 63) depicted that WEPs are used for food value and their medicinal role.
Marketability of wild edible plants
The study showed that the marketability of WEPs declined from time to time as the traditional knowledge on the use and consumption of these edibles was loss. According to some KI, balti leaf, sisente leaf, and entut root were sold locally, but now only chaw leaves have been marketed. Chaw green leaf has high market demand and is sold as bunches of leaves. Based on the demand and supply of chaw leaves, one handful of bunch leaves sold about 5 Birr at the local market. These results supported by (64, 65) who found that WEPs usually sold at market which it creates job opportunities and income generation for rural households.
Threats and conservation of WEPs
The traditional knowledge on the use and diversity of WEPs was eroded due to anthropogenic activities and natural disasters. This is in good agreement with the reports of (66) that manmade and ecological environments were the main drivers of change in consumption and availability of WEPs. In line with the present study, (2, 7, 29, 40) in Ethiopia, reported that WEPs face disappearing in their growing environment from diverse anthropogenic activities. This human induced threaten factors were done deliberately or unconsciously by people who alarmingly eroded the biodiversity.
As we observed at the field, a few older adults have started conserving practice of some WEPs around the home (ex-situ conservation) and at field (in-situ conservation). For example, entut, lekut root/tuber, ticawoch have been planted around the home garden and some others protected areas. The present study is in agreement with the finding by (67) that over half of the informants have grown wild edible fruits and shrubs. Comparable result was reported by (68) Tshopo district, DR Congo, the result revealed that gathering Dioscorea tubers in the forest still practiced by some people, while others used from domesticating them over time.
We observed some effect of climate change on biodiversity degradation as it resulted land slide and water flood by heavy rain or expansion of drought at some pocket area. Surprisingly, nearly all informants were not recognized the effect of climate change.