Introduction

Abstract

This book continues as volume eleven of a multi-compendium on Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants. It covers plants with edible modified storage subterranean stems (corms, rhizomes, stem tubers) and unmodifed subterranean stem stolons, above-ground swollen stems and hypocotyls, storage roots (tap root, lateral roots, root tubers) and bulbs that are eaten as conventional or functional food as vegetables and spices, as herbal teas, and may provide a source of food additive or neutraceuticals. A list of such edible plant species from families Acanthaceae to Zygophyllaceae are presented in a tabular form and 32 such edible species from the families Alismataceae, Amaryllidaceae, Apiaceae, Araceae, Araliaceae, Asparagaceae, Asteraceae, Basellaceae, Brassicaceae and Campanulaceae had been covered in detail in preceding volume 9. Twenty edible species from the families Amaranthaceae, Cannaceae, Cibotiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Cyperaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae had been covered in detail in volume 10. This volume 11 covers in detail 18 edible species in the families Iridaceae (1), Lamiaceae (1), Marantaceae (1), Nelumbonaceae (1), Nyctaginaceae (1), Nymphaeaceae (3), Orchidaceae (4), Oxalidaceae (1), Piperaceae (1), Poaceae (2), Rubiaceae (1) and Simaroubaceae (1). Other species from these families with edible modified stems, roots and bulbs are listed in Table 1. Many plants with such edible plant parts that are better known for their edible fruits or flowers have been covered in earlier volumes and for those better known for other non-reproductive plant parts will be covered in latter volumes.