Taxonomic diversity of traditional African vegetables consumed in the district of Idigny in Benin

Abstract

Traditional African vegetables represent staple foods for many households in Africa. In Benin, various species of traditional African vegetables are appreciated by local populations. This study aims to inventory and identify the species of traditional African vegetables consumed and recognized in the district of Idigny. The methodology adopted was based on literature review and field work through individual interviews and direct observations as well as data processing following collection. Indeed, a pre-developed questionnaire was administered individually to 108 randomly selected people. The results showed that the district has a remarkable diversity of 21 species of traditional African vegetables, which belong to 18 genera and 14 families with dominance of Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae and Solanaceae. The floristic analysis of the data highlights the dominance of herbaceous species (66.7%), Therophytes (42.9%) and Nanophanerophytes (23.8%). Widely distributed species dominate (52.4%) against 47.6% of species which are restricted only to Africa. For geographical distribution, Pantropical species (38.1%) predominate, followed by Afrotropicals (19.0%), Guinea-Congolese (19.0%) and Paleotropical (14.3%). The Afro-Malagasy and Sudano-Guinean species are the least represented with a respective rate of 4.76%. These results show that the district of Idigny has a specific richness of traditional African leafy food vegetables, but under pressure from anthropogenic actions and climate change. Integrated management strategies aimed at their conservation and promotion is essential.

Key words: Traditional vegetable, integrated management, phytogeographic, Idigny, Benin