Edible Wild Plants: A Case Study from Oman

Abstract

Plants have been used for the benefit of man since ancient times. Be it for food, clothing, shelter, medicines, cosmetic or making utilitarian objects, plants have served man’s most needs. In recent decades, in the Arabian Peninsula, plastic and metal, synthetic medicines, synthetic dyes and perfumes have largely taken over from the traditional uses of plants. Only a handful of species, such as the date palm, are still widely used for making utilitarian objects, and a few plant species used in traditional medicine. The main uses of medicinal plants are for curing colds, coughs, colic, and in a few cases, for those conditions or diseases where modern medical treatment is unsatisfactory. In Oman, the use of traditional fragrances such as frankincense and rose water is still popular. Pasturing is still the most common form of animal husbandry, and favourite fodder plants are lopped regularly throughout rural Oman. The use of edible wild plants, common a few decades ago has sharply declined; this can be attributed to the dying knowledge of the wild flora. The few wild plants that are still consumed and liked in certain parts of Oman need proper investigation and brought into cultivation to increase their availability to the communities and people of Oman and beyond.