The Discernment of Ekiti Ethnic Tribe of South Western Nigeria on Wild Edible Vegetables

The discernment of Ekiti people on the wild edible vegetables (WEVs) was conducted in the three senatorial districts of Ekiti State through interviews using a semistructured questionnaire matrix. The interviews were focused, conversational and two-way in communication. Also the abundance of each of the identified WEVs was determined. The respondents transcend sex, age and literacy status though most of them were females, mostly adults of over 25 years, illiterates, mostly of low economic status and engaged in agricultural activities yet these socio-economic classifications were not pre-requisites to their consciousness on the WEVs. A total of 51 WEVs belonging to 30 families were valued for medicine and nutrition in the study area with the family Asteraceae having the highest number of species. The leaves constituted the major part used in the identified WEVs. The diseases managed and/ prevented by these WEVs were classified into 37 groups while 40 of the WEVs were recognized as sources of vitamins and minerals by the respondents. The need to ensure sustainability of the WEVs in a manner that would improve the dietary and health conditions of the indigenous people of the study area was identified.


I. Introduction
Wild edible vegetables (WEVs) are vegetables that grow spontaneously in selfmaintaining populations in natural or semi-natural ecosystems (Campton, 2008). They exist independently of direct human actions. Nnamani et al. (2017) opined that some of these vegetables do not require formal cultivation as they easily grow in the wild and are readily available in the field. According to Modi et al. (2006), WEVs contribute significantly to the dietary requirements of rural households. Though information about their contributions to world nutrition is still limited (Kassim, 2009) yet Kalemba, (2007 opined that the promotion of utilization and commercialization of indigenous WEVs could provide a viable alternative to sustainable livelihood and food security. The WEVs are nutritious (Vaishali et al. 2013), delicious and cheap. They are also valued as traditional medicine (Adebooye and Opabode, 2004;Saqib et al., 2011) and used for prevention of most prevalent life style diseases (KDAH 2015). WEVs now constitute an integral part of the culture of indigenous people of Africa. The indigenous knowledge on them is passed on from generation to generations (Lwoga et al. 2010).
Recent initiative revealed that the consumption of WEVs is declining, particularly in Nigeria (Ogunrotimi et al. 2018). Some people still regard them as weeds and vegetables of low status (Bvenura and Afolayan 2019). All these served as disincentives to their cultivation. Consequent on these, the need for proper documentation of the wild edible vegetables among the various ethnic groups in the country and the discernment of these indigenous people on them cannot be over-emphasized, particularly now that massive and diverse anthropogenic factors are prevalent and eroding the vegetation of the country. Thus a gradual loss of genetic diversity persists on WEVs and this may deprive the future generations of these useful resources (Ogunrotimi et al. 2018).

Methods a. Ethno-botanical Survey and Collection of Data:
This study was conducted in the three senatorial districts of Ekiti State, namely; Ekiti Central, Ekiti North and Ekiti South. Two Local Government areas (LGAs) were selected from each senatorial district and four rural areas were purposively selected from each LGA, making a total of six LGAs and twenty-four rural communities. 5 respondents, each of whom has maintained domicile in the community for a continuous period of 10 years were purposively selected in each community and interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire matrix. The interviews were focused, conversational and two-way in communication. Information regarding the local names of WEVs in the study area, parts used and their cultivation status was documented. Also respondents' perceived medicinal and nutritional values were documented.

b. Determination of the Abundance of the identified WEVs
After the completion of the inventory stated above, the abundance of each of identified species in each LGA was determined by random selection of two of the already selected communities in the LGA. In each of the selected community a 4-point scale was used to define the abundance of each of the identified WEVs species. This was awarded using the time taken to physically encounter the species in each community (Bonger and Popma 1988). Identified WEVs found in less than an hour was regarded as 'Abundant' and awarded 3 Points, those found between 1 to 2hrs was regarded as 'Frequent' and awarded 2 Points, those found between 2hrs and 5hrs was regarded as 'Occasional' and awarded 1 Point. Identified plant not found after 5hrs was regarded as 'Rare' and awarded 0 Point The average of the total points obtained on each of the identified plant species was regarded as the species abundance status. Table 1 revealed that the respondents transcend sex, age and literacy status though most of them were females (65%), mostly adults of over 25 years and illiterates (60%). Though the index of wealth used in this study varied from one community to another yet most of the respondents were of low economic status and were mostly engaged in agricultural activities.

III. Results
The respondents were quite conscious of the WEVs in their environment and their medicinal and nutritional values. Thus, the socio-economic classifications of the respondents were not regarded as pre-requisites to their consciousness on the WEVs in their environment. A total of 51 WEVs belonging to 30 families were observed to be valued for medicine and nutrition in the study area (Table 2) while Asteraceae has the highest number of species (9), 4 each were members of the families Amarantaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Solanaceae. 3 were members of the family of Portulacaceae, 2 each were members of the family of Malvaceae and Papillionaceae. Other families possessed a species each. 31 (61%) species of the identified species were herbs, 12 (24%) were shrubs and 8 (16%) were trees. The leaves constituted the major part used. The results obtained revealed that a total of 27 (53%) species have their leaves used as vegetables, another 17 (33%), 1 (3%) and 1 (3%) have their leaves and stems, leaves and fruits, leaves and tubers respectively, used as vegetables. Other parts used as vegetables were fruits and tubers. 6 (12%) of the identified wild edible vegetables were cultivated species, 20 (39%) were uncultivated but grow as wild while 25(49%) were capable of being cultivated but also grow as wild. Table 3 shows the medicinal value of the wild edible vegetable species. The diseases managed and/ prevented by these identified wild vegetables were classified into 37 groups. Table 4 shows the nutritional values of the wild edible vegetables sampled in Ekiti State, most of the vegetables were valued as sources of vitamins and minerals. 40 of the identified   2, No 2, April 2020, Page: 125-135 e-ISSN: 2655-7827 (Online), p-ISSN: 2655 www. bircu-journal.com/index.php/birex emails: birex.journal@gmail H. sabdariffa, J. curcas, L. taraxacifolia, L. siceraria, L. taraxacifolia, M. esculenta, O. gratissimum, P. lunatus, P. guineense, S. biafrae, S. biafrae, S. americanum, S. nigrum, T. triangulare, T. occidentalis, T. daniellii, V. amygdalina, Frequent C. cajan, C. procera, C. maxima, I. batatas, L. hastata, P. angulata, S. radiatum, S. macrocarpon, S. scabrum, S. mombin Occasional A. seyal, A. hispidum, A. melegueta, A. mexicana, B. ferruginea, P. oleracea Rare A. digitata, A. senegalensis, T. scleroxylon, V. doniana, C. pentandra, M. arboreus.
were recognized as sources of vitamins and minerals by the respondents. 14 vegetables were valued for strengthening of bones, 21 for strengthening the body, 16 for dietary fibers, 21 for protein, 5 for enhancing smoothness of skin and 11 for cleansing of the stomach system. 57% of the identified WEVs were abundant, 20% were frequent and 12% each were occasional and rare on the abundance scale used in this study (Table 5). While the abundant species were mostly herbs, most of which germinated as weeds, the rare species were mostly tree species. IV. Discussion This study revealed that the Ekiti ethnic tribe of south west in Nigeria, like other tribes in the country, still valued WEVs in their environment. Most of the WEVs are freely available within the natural habitats of Ekiti State. Table 1 revealed that the respondents transcend socioeconomic classifications. This observation supports the previous assertions of Kayode et al., (2015) and Ayeni et. al. (2018) that socio-economic factors were not pre-requisites to the consciousness of the indigenous people on the economic and ecological values of plants in their vicinities. 51 wild edible vegetables species belonging to 30 families were documented (Table 2). Thus a wide range of species diversity abounds on WEVs among the Ekiti indigenous tribe. Elsewhere in Nigeria, wide diversity of edible vegetables was reported (Abubaker et. al. 2012, Ajiboye et. al. 2014, Ogunrotimi et. al.2018). The family Asteraceae had the largest number of species. Most of these species were herbaceous and grow as wilds. Kayode (2005) asserted that the ecological success of the Asteraceae could be attributed to their methods of reproduction. Many of them were annual plants and reproduced by seeds. The seeds are usually dispersed by air. Even when these seeds were dispersed during unfavorable conditions, they then exhibit dormancy that is easily broken during favourable conditions (Oberbaner and Strain 1985). The ability to exhibit dormancy was described as a survival strategy in the members of the family Asteraceae (Harper 1977). Recent initiative revealed that Asteraceae now constituted the largest plant family (Quora 2019). Ojelel and Kakudidi (2015) also revealed that these plants possessed higher tolerance to weather changes hence they are available for most part of the year. The leaves constituted the major parts widely utilized in the identified WEVs for vegetables thus supporting the previous observation made in most previous studies undertaken in Nigeria, such as the studies of Ali et al. (2008) and Kebede et al. (2017).
The perception of the indigenous Ekiti tribe revealed that many of the identified WEVs were of medicinal values. Field observation revealed that many of them were deliberately eaten to manage or prevent the incidences of diseases supposedly cure or prevented by these vegetables. These diseases were classified into over 30 types in this study. Field observation however revealed that in the consumption of these vegetables, emphases were placed on prevention rather than cure. Also the field observation revealed that a gross dearth of orthodox medicine abounds in most of the communities used in this study and where they are available, their costs were exorbitant and far beyond the reach of the rural dwellers. Thus dwellers saw the wild vegetables as nature's way of enhancing health management. This observation tends to concur with the opinion of Coolborn et al. (2018) that Ekiti tribe relied on the use of herbs and believed on their effectiveness with no mild effect on the human body system.
Similarly the perceptions of the respondents on the nutritional importance of the identified WEVs were equally revealed in this study (Table 4). The vegetables were believed to be sources of minerals, vitamins, protein and energy. They were equally valued for their ability to maintain teeth, bones and skin. Field observation revealed that the Ekiti diets are mainly of staple foods. Labadarios et al. (2005) observed that these foods lacked dietary diversity, which results in nutrient deficiencies. Thus, according to Modi et al.(2006), Chach andOluoch (2002), the WEVS offered the potential to improve nutrients intake when consumed. Van der Walt et al. (2005) asserted that the vegetables require simple technologies and input to grow and cultivated. Other factors that might serve as incentives to their utilities include their nutrient contents, accessibility, affordability and acceptance by the indigenous people of the study area (Mauder and Meaker, 2007).
Most of the identified WEVs in this study were abundant in status (Table 5), the abundance was skewed to the herbaceous vegetables. Tree species -A. digitata, A. senegalensis, T. scleroxylon, V. doniana, C. pentandra and M. arboreus-were observed to be rare in the study area. Thus with the increasing anthropogenic factors in the study area, the need for conservation of these species cannot be over-emphasized.

V. Conclusion
Some of the identified species will require domestication. Cultivation of some of the presently uncultivated species should be embarked upon. Deforestation must be controlled (Neudeck et al. 2012). At present in the south western Nigeria, a gross dearth of labour hands proliferates thus accelerating the use of fire for vegetation clearance especially when preparing new farms. This must be checked. These will ensure sustainability of the WEVs in a manner that would improve the dietary and health conditions of the indigenous people of the study area.