Ethnomycological knowledge of tea tribe and indigenous communities of Upper Assam, India

Abstract

A massive survey was done from April to October 2015 in Jorhat and Tinsukia districts of upper Assam for collection and identification of wild edible and medicinal mushrooms used by the rural people and tea tribes. Older adults are experts in the identification of consumable mushrooms found in wild condition by using indigenous knowledge. Mushroom poisoning is common all over the world and the Upper Assam area is also not exceptional. A total of 41 wild edible mushroom species belonging to 24 genera, 17 families, 8 orders and 3 classes were identified. The rural people and tea tribes of the study site mostly consume 12 species out of the 41 species of identified wild edible mushrooms. The tea tribe and other indigenous people living in interior villages are economically very weak and consume the wild edible mushrooms as a substitute of meat, due to taste and easy availability in the spring and summer season. Moreover, 8 wild mushroom species having importance as traditional medicine were identified.