Diversity, Ethnobotanical Knowledge, and Cultural Food Significance of Edible Plants Traded in an Urban Market in Baise City, China

Urban markets are key nodes for the persistence and adaptation of traditional edible plant knowledge, linking rural production with urban consumption. This study was based on monthly market surveys conducted throughout 2025 in an urban market in Baise City, Guangxi, China. A total of 54 edible plant taxa were recorded, including both native and introduced species, with herbaceous plants predominating alongside climbers, trees, and grasses. Ethnobotanical data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with 40 local informants (20 men and 20 women, aged 25–65 years) selected using purposive sampling, focusing on individuals actively involved in purchasing and preparing edible plants. High Cultural Food Significance Index (CFSI) values highlighted culturally central taxa, including Allium ascalonicum L., × Brassarda juncea (L.) Su Liu & Z.H. Feng, and Houttuynia cordata Thunb., reflecting frequent use and culinary–medicinal integration. Fidelity Level (FL) analyses identified species with strong consensus for specific therapeutic applications, such as × B. juncea, Alpinia galanga (L.) Willd., and Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., while Informant Consensus Factor (FIC) values indicated moderate to high agreement across gastrointestinal, respiratory, inflammatory, and other health categories. These results underscore the persistence of the “food as medicine” concept, showing that edible plants function simultaneously as nutritional and preventive healthcare resources. The overlap of culinary and medicinal roles demonstrates dynamic food–medicine integration, with urban markets acting as cultural hubs that maintain dietary diversity, household food security, and ethnobotanical knowledge. Future studies should incorporate ethnozoological resources and longitudinal monitoring to capture the full scope of urban food–medicine systems.