Traditional knowledge of the wild edible mushrooms of Himachal Pradesh
Babita Kumari, Shwet Kamal, Rajender Singh, Ved Parkash Sharma, Vijay Sanspal, Gian Chand
Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to document traditional knowledge of the wild edible mushrooms of Himachal Pradesh. Ethno-mycological data was recorded from different regions of the state, viz., Barot, Kangra, Shimla, Solan, Sirmaur, Mandi, Kullu, and Gaddi inhabitant regions of Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. The local inhabitants of the region collect these mushrooms from the forests. Experienced members of families and local bodies teach the younger generation about edible and poisonous wild mushrooms, as well as their distribution patterns in forests. The majority of the collected wild edible mushrooms are consumed fresh. In this paper, we have presented the traditional knowledge about collection, identification, and documentation as per the knowledge available among indigenous people.