Wild edible plants consumed by the Aka tribe in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, India

This study documented wild edible plants (WEPs) consumed by the Aka community of the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. Using the Rapid Assessment Technique (RAA), the field survey was carried out in six randomly selected Aka inhabited villages. Total of 120 informants were randomly selected and interviewed for documentation of ethnobotanical knowledge of wild edible plants. Information was collected using semi structured questionnaires and focus group discussions. A total of 74 species of wild edible plants belonging to 59 genera and 43 families were recorded. With four species each, Rosaceae and Dioscoreaceae were reported to be the most dominant family, followed by Urticaceae, Solanaceae, Asteraceae, Arecaceae, Anacardaceae, and Amaranthaceae. To revive and recover some of the lost traditional knowledge, it is also necessary to promote general awareness among the local population about the nutritional and livelihood potential of the wild edible plants.