A quantitative survey of the diversity of food plants used by the Vhavenḓa

• A checklist of 179 Vhavenḓa food plant species is presented. • Fifty food plant species are recorded for the first time for the Vhavenda. • The methodology allowed quantitative ethnobotanical analyses. • Top three species: Sclerocarya birrea, Vigna unguiculata and Adansonia digitata . • New insights into cultural and contemporary biocultural plant use patterns. This study presents quantified data on the most popular food plant species used by the Vhavenḓa. Information from existing literature on Vhavenḓa food plants and their uses was enriched through a reconnaissance survey conducted amongst Tshivenḓa-speaking communities in the Vhembe District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A list of 179 useful food species representing 58 families was compiled, accompanied by photographs organised into a flip-file album. Among the 179 species identified, several categories emerged based on their primary uses (number of species between brackets): edible fruits (93), leaves cooked as vegetables (58), beverages (40), sources of caterpillars feeding on leaves (23), sources of edible seeds (17), nutraceuticals (16), cooking sodas (9), famine foods (9), edible sweet nectars (6), edible gums (5), condiments (3), source of edible stinkbugs (2), edible leaf stalks (1), and cooking oil (1). Plant families with the highest species representation were Fabaceae (19), Malvaceae (14), Cucurbitaceae (9), Amaranthaceae (9), Rubiaceae (9), Apocynaceae (8), Anacardiaceae (6), Moraceae (7), Myrtaceae (6), and Asteraceae (4). The most frequently mentioned and widely used plants include species from the genera Amaranthus, Cucumis, Ficus, Grewia, Lannea, Momordica , and Syzygium . Notably, species with the broadest range of uses were Adansonia digitata, Amaranthus hybridus (naturalised) , Bidens pilosa (naturalised) , Citrullus lanatus, Corchorus tridens, Lagenaria siceraria, Landolphia kirkii, Sclerocarya birrea, and Vigna unguiculata . This data is of significant scientific and practical value, offering comparative insights into future quantitative ethnobotanical studies. It provides a foundation for understanding cultural and contemporary biocultural plant use patterns in South Africa. Additionally, the findings can inform policymakers focused on floristic diversity, aiding in identifying culturally important species that may require prioritization for conservation efforts.