Table 1 List of the recorded wild edible plants
From: Wild food plants and fungi sold in the markets of Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
| Scientific name | Family | Local name | Local name |
Voucher Number (WA) | Jun | Aug | Nov | Feb | Parts used | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuber of species | 79 | 62 | 59 | 45 | ||||||
| Acacia concinna (Willd.) DC. | Fabaceae | som poi |
| 72429 | x | x | x | x | green parts | in BS and MVS to give them sour taste |
| Acacia pennata (L.) Willd. | Fabaceae | phak kan kong |
| 72440 | x | x | x | x | green parts | BS, chicken soup |
| Adenanthera pavonina L. | Fabaceae | phak mak lam |
| 72466 | x | green parts | BS, MVS | |||
| Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa | Rutaceae | mak tum |
| 72477 | x | x | x | x | fruit | tea, also raw, sticky inside to make glue for paper, young leaf tasty but they dont sell it in the market |
| Albizia procera (Roxb.) Benth. | Fabaceae | phak thon |
| x | green parts | soup, raw | ||||
| Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DC. | Amaranthaceae | phak kan tan |
| 72455 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Amaranthus spinosus L. | Amaranthaceae | phak hom nam |
| 72447 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Amaranthus viridis L. | Amaranthaceae | phak hom |
| 72439 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Amocalyx microlobus Pierre ex Spire | Apocynaceae | mak sim |
| x | young fruits | raw or added to dishes to give them sour taste | ||||
| Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson | Araceae | duk deu |
| 72492 | observed in previous years | stalks | soup, MVS | |||
| Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze | Lamiaceae | phak ki on |
| observed in previous years | green parts | soup, MVS | ||||
| Antidesma acidum Retz. | Phyllanthaceae | mak mao |
| 72493 | x | green parts with fruits, fruits | green parts added to a soup made with Russula species, always sold placed near a bowl of these mushrooms; fruits are first sour then turn sweet | |||
| Arenga westerhoutii Griff. | Palmae | mak tao |
| 72478 | x | x | seed, sap for wine | seed to make a sweet dessert, sap for wine | ||
| Averrhoa carambola L. | Euphorbiaceae | mak fu yang |
| x | x | x | x | fruit | raw, also in salads, chicken soup to give sourness | |
| Azidarachta indica A. Juss. | Meliaceae | phak ka dao |
| 72430 | x | x | x | x | green parts | MVS |
| Bambusae, inlcuding: | no mai |
| x | x | x | x | shoots | BS, bamboo MVS | ||
| Bambusa blumeana Schultes | Poaceae | 72453 | ||||||||
| Bambusa longispiculata Gamble | Poaceae | 72498 | ||||||||
| Bambusa tulda Roxb. | Poaceae | 72500 | ||||||||
| Cephalostachyum virgatum (Munro) Kurz | Poaceae | 72497 | ||||||||
| Gigantochloa albociliata (Munro)Kurz | Poaceae | 72494 | ||||||||
| Indocalamus petelotii (A.Camus) Ohrnb. | Poaceae | 72501 | ||||||||
| Indosasa sinica C.D.Chu & C.S.Chao | Poaceae | 72496 | ||||||||
| Dendrocalamus sinicus L.C.Chia & J.L.Sun | Poaceae | 72495 | ||||||||
| Bauhinia malabarica Roxb. | Fabaceae | phak xiao |
| 72448 | x | x | green parts | raw and boiled, soup, MVS - added to dishes to give them acidity | ||
| Caesalpinia mimosoides Lam. | Fabaceae | nam phak kha nya |
 
| 72418 | lv | lv | fl | fl | green parts, flowers | flowers, raw with geaouw, jackfruit salad and other things; young shoots added to dishes to give them sourness |
| Calamus viminalis Willd. | Palmae | wai kom |
| x | x | x | x | stalk | burn it for geaw also for soup and 'o lam' soup | |
| Canarium asperum Benth. | Burseraceae | mak bai |
| x | shoots | soup, MVS | ||||
| Careya arborea Roxb. | Lecythidaceae | phak ka don |
| x | green parts | raw, as condiment for spicy salad | ||||
| Caryota urens L. | Palmae | nyod tao |
| 72491 | x | x | inside of stalk | boiled in soup quite rare in the market, highly prized | ||
| Castanopsis hystrix Hook. f. & Thomson ex A. DC. | Fagaceae | mak ko |
| 72480 | x | fruit | after frying | |||
| Celastrus paniculatus Willd. | Celastraceae | mak taek |
| 72467 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. | Umbelliferae | phak nok |
| 72421 | x | x | x | x | green parts | raw or boiled in soup, MVS |
| Cladophora sp. | Cladophoraceae | khai |
| 72452 | x | x | x | x | whole plant (green parts) | sheets of dried algae spiced with sesame and garlic fried as a snack or sidedish.; the fresh algae also eaten in a sort of vegetable porridge for breakfast |
| Coccinia grandis (L.)Voigt. | Cucurbitaceae | phak tam nin, phak tam ling |
 
| 72464 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Colocasia esculenta (L.)Schott | Araceae | bon van |
| 72458 | x | x | x | x | leaf stalk | soup, MVS, require longer processing |
| Colocasia gigantea (Blume) Hook.f. | thoun |
| x | x | x | x | leaf stalk | papaya salad, soup, MVS | ||
| Colubrina longipes Back. | Rhamnaceae | phak kan tong |
| 72463 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Commelina diffusa Burm.f. | Commelinaceae | phak kab pi, phak pab |
 
| x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||||
| Commelina zeylanica Falkenb. | Commelinaceae | phak kab pi, phak pab |
 
| 72450 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth.) S.Moore | Asteraceae | nya heu bin |
| 72426 | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |
| Cratoxylum cochinchinense Blume | Guttiferae | phak tio |
| 72409 | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||
| Cyclea barbata Miers | Menispermaceae | mo noy |
| 72411 | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||
| Daemonorops jenkinsiana (Griff.) Mart. | Palmae | wai |
| 72479 | x | x | x | x | stalk | burned for geaw also for soup, 'o lam' and MVS |
| Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf. | Fabaceae | fang daeng, mak fang |
 
| 72490 | x | x | preserved fruit | endosperm of seeds eaten after boiling | ||
| Diplazium esculentum (Retz.)Sw. | Woodsiaceae | phak kud |
| 72425 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup and MVS, needs boiling |
| Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms | Pontederiaceae | phak tob |
| 72487 | x | x | green parts | steamed and eaten in salad with sesame, fish sauce, coriander and onion, MVS, soup | ||
| Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. | Poaceae | nya phak khuaai |
 
| 72465 | x | green parts | MVS | |||
| Eryngium foetidum L. | Umbelliferae | phak hom pe |
| 72422 | x | x | x | x | green parts | aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes |
| Erythrina stricta Roxb. | Fabaceae | dok thong, phak thong |
 
| 72407 | x | x | green parts, fruit | young leaves, fruts, raw or 5 min boiling | ||
| Ficus fistulosa Reinw. ex Blume | Moraceae | mak war |
| x | x | green parts, fruit | fruit and leaf | |||
| Flacourtia indica (Burm.f.) Merr. | Salicaceae | mak kvien, mak ken ta khuaai |
  
| x | green and ripe fruits | to give acidity to dishes, also raw | ||||
| Gnaphalium polycaulon Pers. | Asteraceae | phak kaeb |
| x | green parts | MVS | ||||
| Hibiscus sabdariffa L. | Malvaceae | som pho di |
| 72511 | x | x | fruit | leaf - soup, fruit - soup, jam | ||
| Houttuynia cordata Thunb. | Saururaceae | phak khao thong |
| 72427 | x | x | x | x | green parts | raw salad |
| Hydrolea zeylanica Vahl | Hydrophyllaceae | phak bi i ian |
| 72461 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Ipomoea aquatica Forssk. | Convolvulaceae | phak bong |
| 72434 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Lasia spinosa (L.) Thwaites | Araceae | phak nam, bon nam |
 
| 72431 | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||
| Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit | Fabaceae | phak ka thin |
| 72488 | x | x | x | green parts | pods and leaves raw in papaya salad, also in 'lab' meat salad | |
| Limnocharis flava (L.) Buchenau | Limnocharitaceae | phak kan chong |
| 72424 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Limnophila chinensis (Osbeck) Merr. | Scrophulariaceae | phak kha nhyaeng |
| 72420 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS, as an aromatic herb giving flavour |
| Lindernia sp1 | Scrophulariaceae | nya khai hao |
| 72454 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Lindernia sp2 | Scrophulariaceae | nya khai hao |
| 72468 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Lindernia sp3 | Scrophulariaceae | phak kaeb |
| 72470 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Lindernia sp4 | Scrophulariaceae | phak dang khom |
| 72474 | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |||
| Livistona saribus (Lour.)Merr. Ex Chev. | Palmae | mak kho |
| 72481 | x | x | fruit | fruit after placing in hot water | ||
| Lygodium flexuosum (L.) Sw. | Lygodiaceae | phak kud noy |
| 72437 | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |
| Mangifera sp. (a wild taxon) | Anacardiaceae | bai mak mouang |
| observed in previous years | green parts | soup, MVS | ||||
| Markhamia stipulata (Wall.) Seem. | Bignoniaceae | dok khae |
| 72483 | x | x | flowers | raw, also pork/chicken filling and steamed | ||
| Marsilea crenata C. Presl. | Marsileaceae | phak waen |
| 72446 | x | x | x | x | green parts | fried like morning glory, salad with sesame, onion, galangal, ginger |
| Melientha suavis Pierre | Opiliaceae | phak wan ba |
| 72484 | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | |
| Millettia brandisiana Kurz | Opiliaceae | dok ban |
| 72489 | x | green parts | boil in water 1-2 min, and then salad with sesame onion, fish sauce coriander | |||
| Momordica charantia L. | Cucurbitaceae | phak sai |
| 72436 | x | x | x | x | green parts | shoots for soup, fruit boiled eaten with geaow |
| Moringa oleifera Lam. | Moringaceae | phak i hum |
| 72428 | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||
| Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aitom | Brassicaceae | phak nam |
| 72444 | x | x | x | x | green parts | aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes |
| Neptunia oleracea Lour. | Fabaceae | phak ka sed |
| 72415 | x | x | x | x | green parts | raw and bamboo soup |
| Ocimum tenuiflorum L. | Lamiaceae | phak ka phao |
| 72441 | x | x | x | x | green parts | aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes |
| Ocimum sp. | Lamiaceae | phak sa ao |
| 72456 | x | x | x | x | green parts | aromatic herb added to soups and other dishes |
| Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz | Bignoniaceae | lin mai |
| 72416 | fl, lv | fr | fr | green parts, fruit, flowers | flower and fruit, flowers steamed with pork/chicken stuffed in it, praised in spite of their bitterness | |
| Oxalis corniculata L. | Oxalidaceae | som saeng ka |
| 72438 | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||
| Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb. | Pandanaceae | bai toey |
| 72482 | x | x | green parts | to give food gentle flavour and green colour | ||
| Passiflora edulis Sims | Passifloraceae | mak nod |
| 72459 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Passiflora foetida L. | Passifloraceae | phak moy |
| 72471 | x | x | x | x | green parts | soup, MVS |
| Phyllanthus acidus (L.) Skeels | Euphorbiaceae | bai mak nyom |
| x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||||
| Phyllanthus emblica L. | Euphorbiaceae | mak kaam pom |
 
| x | green parts | soup, MVS | ||||
| Piper ribesioides Wall. /Piper interruptum Opiz. | Piperaceae | sa khan |
| 72485 | x | x | x | x | stalk | added to dishes for flavouring, e.g. in 'o lam' |
| Piper sarmentosum Roxb. | Piperaceae | phak iloed |
| 72505 | x | x | x | green parts | in 'o lam', it enhances a dish’s flavour. it is also added to some river weed and taro (bon) dishes, and used to wrap little snacks | |
| Polygonum odoratum Lour. | Polygonaceae | phud phaeng |
| 72510 | x | x | x | x | green parts | aromatic herb added to soups, MV and other dishes |
| Protium serratum (Wall.ex Colebr.)Engl. | Burseraceae | mak phaen |
| 72508 | x | ripe fruits | used to give acid taste to dishes | |||
| Rhus chinensis Mill. | Anacardiaceae | som fod |
| 72476 | x | fruit | used to add sour taste to dishes | |||
| Sandoricum koetjape (Burm.f.) Merrill | Meliaceae | mak tong |
| 72473 | x | fruit | eaten raw | |||
| Sauropus androgynus (L.) Merr. | Euphorbiaceae | phak wan ban |
 
| 72443 | x | green parts | soup. MWV | |||
| Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Merr. | Sapindaceae | mak ko som |
| 72509 | x | ripe fruits | used to give acid taste to dishes | |||
| Sechium edule (Jacquin) Swartz | Cucurbitaceae | phak soe, mak soe |
 
| 72460 | x | green parts | soup. MWV | |||
| Sesbania grandiflora (L.) Poir. | Fabaceae | phak khae khao, dok khae |
 
| 72472 | x | x | x | x | flowers, green parts | soup. MWV |
| Solanum barbisetum Nees | Solanaceae | mak pu mak nya |
 
| 72442 | x | young fruits | ||||
| Solanum indicum L. | Solanaceae | mak kaen kon |
| x | green parts | raw | ||||
| Solanum lasiocarpum Dunal | Solanaceae | mak oek |
| 72410 | x | fruit | papaya salad | |||
| Solanum nigrum L. | Solanaceae | phak did nam |
| 72417 | x | x | x | green parts | soup. MWV, also used raw | |
| Solanum spirale Roxb. | Solanaceae | mak did |
| 72408 | x | x | green parts | soup. MWV | ||
| Spilanthes acmella (L.)L. | Asteraceae | phak khad hun |
| 72413 | x | x | x | x | green parts | raw, but mostly in soups, MVS, 'o lam' |
| Spilanthes paniculata Wall. ex DC. | Asteraceae | phak khad dok noy |
 
| 72412 | x | green parts | soup. MWV | |||
| Spondias pinnata (Koenig ex L.f.)Kurz | Anacardiaceae | mak kok |
| 72462 | x | x | x | fruit | fruit grilled for geauw, also chicken soup, o lam, also raw | |
| Tamarindus indica L. | Fabaceae | mak kham |
| x | x | x | x | fruit | raw or paste as condiment | |
| Tiliacora triandra Diels. | Menispermaceae | bai ya nang |
| 72433 | x | x | x | x | green parts | used to make yanang water used in bamboo soup |
| Trapa natans L. | Trapaceae | mak ka chap |
| 72514 | x | fruit | boiled snack | |||
| Zanthoxylum retsa (Roxb.)DC. | Anacardiaceae | mak khaen |
| 72486 | x | x | x | x | fruit (seed coating) | spice for all foods |
| Zizyphus sp. | Rhamnaceae | mak ka than |
| x | x | fruit | raw snack | |||
| unidentified | mak noy tai |
| observed in previous years | fruit | raw snack | |||||
| unidentified | phak i tu |
| observed in previous years | green parts | soup. MWV | |||||
| unidentified | phak dit pa |
| observed in previous years | green parts | soup. MWV | |||||