Traditional knowledge and consumption of wild edible plants in rural households, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Background: Globalisation, urbanisation, and modernisation all influence traditional knowledge. More specifically, the introduction of exotic plants, historical policies, stigma attached to consuming wild edible plants (WEPs), changes in lifestyles, and environmental factors are reshaping peoples' uses and knowledge of WEPs. This study assessed the relationship between ethnobotanical knowledge and consumption of WEPs in rural villages in the Polokwane and Aganang local municipalities, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Methods: This study was conducted in four villages in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, between May 2018 and June 2019. Data about WEPs were collected using a household survey questionnaire administered to a total of 120 participants stratified by age and gender. Additionally, a free list of WEP species known by participants was collected as well as data on the traditional uses of each species.

Results: We found that WEPs are generally well-known in the area, as participants listed an average of 17.7 ± 5.0 (8.4 ± 2.4 wild fruit species) and (9.3 ± 2.6 wild vegetable species). There was a significant difference between the number of species listed by age group, with the elderly listing a higher mean number of species (9.3 ± 2.6) compared to adults (8.1 ± 2.5) and the youth (7.8 ± 1.7). Vangueria infausta, Sclerocarya birrea subsp. caffra, Ximenia caffra, Amaranthus retroflexus, Citrullus lanatus, and Cleome gynandra were among the most listed species. There was a positive correlation between knowledge of WEPs and consumption rates. Most of the knowledge about WEPs was learnt from a family member (89%), own observation (86%), and a village elder (75%). This knowledge was mostly acquired from childhood through oral tradition (63%), through participation (21%), and consumption (12%).

Conclusions: Future preservation of WEPs knowledge could be encouraged by formalising indigenous knowledge in the education system and promoting WEPs in the media.