Foreword Nature bestowed man with about 2.5 lakh plant species and perhaps the same number of unknown species. Out of this plant wealth, 80,000 plant species are edible but man exploited only 3,000 of these plant species for food, shelter and clothing. Commercial scale cultivation is limited to 150 species and consumption for food is limited to 20 different kinds of crops, the world over. Four crops rice, wheat, maize and potato alone supply about 60% of total calories intake. The food basket base is shrinking consequent to monocrop culture and reduced area under cropping. There is reduction in the consumption of organic compounds making ourselves vulnerable to stresses and blockage of immuno regulators in the body system. Awareness to enlarge food basket incorporating edible but so far underutilized and underexploited crops has come up as a positive development in food and nutrition. Traditional and ethnic foods are much valued for its presence of lesser known vegetables, fruits, spices, aromatic plants and tuber crops. A few of the underutilized vegetables contain antinutrient factors like free nitrates and oxalates. In fact, these vegetables are consumed only at negligible quantity. They supply micronutrients, essential amino acids, fatty acids, flavourants and pigments.

Genetic resources for food and agriculture are the biological basis of world food and nutrition security and they directly support the livelihood of people. Horticultural genetic resources are a few of biological assets available to resource-poor farmers to ensure sustainable production to improve livelihood options. Genetic diversity gives resource-poor farmers a low cost option to manage the shocks and vulnerability of production systems by its ability to adopt to changing environments. It is the foundation upon which plant breeding depends for the creation of new varieties and is, therefore, of critical public value for global food security. The rapid loss of genetic diversity (genetic erosion) is a worldwide concern and is particularly severe among crop landraces. Farmer’s varieties or landraces may contain co-adapted gene complexes that have evolved over decades and are the most valued genetic resources as they provide options for a range of climatic and edaphic stresses. Therefore, agricultural biodiversity has a critical public value for global food security (FAO, 1978).

The Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands, popularly known as the Bay islands, consists of 572 islands, islets and rocks, situated off the Eastern coast of India. The Islands are covered from coast to coast with an almost impenetrable growth of luxuriant tropical rain forests. The luxuriant growth of dense forests with tangled mass of climbers, lianes, canes and plant communities provide an additional source of income. Many species of bamboos, bushes, shrubs and stunted trees have tremendous values (Mondal, et al 2000). Most of the diversity is still collected from wild forest habitats largely composed of trees, shrubs and other perennial vegetations. Underutilized fruits provide food, nutrition and sustenance to the natives. Broadly, such underutilized diversity in edible fruits falls into four categories (Groot et al 1993).

Giant granadilla, Passiflora quadrangularis L. (syn. P. macrocarpa M.T. Mast.) is the largest fruit in the genus Passiflora. With more than 450 species, Passiflora is the most important genus of family Passifloraceae. It is further divided into 24 subgenera (Killip, 1938). Most of the species producing an edible fruit belong to subgenera Passiflora and Tacsonia. Many species have ornamental interest because of unique and spectacular flowers, or are used for their sedative, antispasmodic, antibacterial, and insect-resistant properties.

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L) is the most important fruit crop of cold arid regions of India. It is one of the most delicious of temperate fruits having pleasing flavour and truly one of the most delectable of the stone fruits.  Exceptional fruit quality consists of blending of sugar and acidity and strong apricot aroma. It has been appreciated and grown for thousands of years on slopes of mountains in Asia and at least two thousand years in Europe.  There are many uses of apricot. It is enjoyed as fresh fruit but a large portion of the production worldwide is preserved primarily by drying. In China, apricot was not only dried but also preserved by salting and smoking. In Japan, apricot (mume) flowers are revered for their beauty and are used since 7–8th century for ornamental purposes.

India produces all deciduous fruits including pome fruits (apple and pear) and stone fruits (peach, plum, apricot and cherry) in considerable quantity. These are mainly grown in the North-Western Indian States of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Himachal Pradesh (H.P.), Uttarakhand and in Uttar Pradesh. The North-Eastern Hills region, comprising of the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Sikkim also grow some of the deciduous fruits on a limited scale. The sub tropical region lies between 150 and 300 north of equator covering North Indian plains, the gangetic basin, large parts of North eastern state, western ghats, nilgiri regions etc. In this zone spring is generally frost free and chilling availability ranges from 50-500 hours. This region is not considered proper for temperate fruit growing but grows several low chilling varieties of peach, plum, pear etc. Deciduous fruits, such as peach and nectarine, require accumulated exposure to cool temperatures during winter dormancy for bud break and the resumption of normal growth the following spring. Minimum amount of accumulated cool temperature exposure needed for normal growth, which varies by cultivars, is referred to as the chilling requirement. Due to introduction and adaptation of low chilling cultivars of peach, plum and pear, they are also now being grown commercially in certain areas of the north Indian plains.

Plant genetic resources are the key components of crop improvement because of development of precision breeding system through biotechnological approaches as well as conventional system of breeding like selection and hybridization. Breeding system of hybridization is replaced by cybrid technology that facilitates transferring more qualitative and quantitative traits rapidly within incompatible genotypes. Aonla is mainly recognized for its high nutritive, medicinal and therapeutic properties. It contains high amount of vitamin-C (500-1500mg/100g), it is also rich in pectin, iron, calcium and phosphorus. Dried fruits of aonla can be used in curing haemorrhage, diarrhea, chronic dysentery, diabetes, jaundice, dyspepsia and cough. Recently, aonla gained more popularity in arid and semi- arid region of the country because of its hardy nature, prolific bearing capacity and ability to grow under various adversities as a remunerative crop (Shukla et al.2002). Aonla is the main ingredient of Chavanprash and Triphala powder, used for curing different   human ailments. Fruit contains a chemical substance gallic acid and leucoanthocyanin, having antioxidant property.

Ber (Chinese date, Chinese fig or bore) (Ziziphus xylopyrus) is an important minor fruit of India. It is a hardy fruit tree cultivated all over India and also known as poor man’s fruit. It is widely cultivated in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Ber does well even under marginal growing conditions and provides quality yields at low cost (Shukla, 1996). Fruits are eaten fresh but the other forms like dried, candied and squash can also be prepared from ber. Stem bark, root and leaves have medicinal values. Leaves of ber are used as fodder in dry regions. Ber tree is a host plant for rearing the Tachardia laccad, a lac insect (Sharma and Kore, 1990).

The Cucurbitaceae family is characterized by long training viny stems. There is variation for flower size and colour among the species but all of them have similar general morphology. The species are open pollinated and self compatible. Most of them are either monoecious (eg. Cucurbita spp.) Or andromonoecious (e.g. common in melon). Other species show gynomonoecy, androgynomonoecy, androecy, gynoecy, hermaphrodite or dioecy. Chow-chow is the only member of the Cucurbitaceae that is viviparous, contains single seed and propagated by planting whole fruit. The Indian gene centre has rich diversity in genetic resources of ridgegourd (Luffa acutangula), bottlegourd (Lagenaria siceraria), bittergourd (Momordica charantia), ashgourd (Benincasa hispida), snakegourd (Trichosanthes anguina), pointed gourd- parval (Trichosanthes dioica), pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) and roundgourd (Praecitrullus vulgaris). Cucurbits are of tremendous economic importance and are cultivated throughout the world from tropical to sub-temperate zones. China, Turkey, India and Iran are important cucurbit growing countries. In India, this diversity is concentrated in Indo-Gangatic plains, north eastern region, north western Himalayas, the Western and Eastern Ghats and sporadically in the tribal dominant belts of central India.  More diversity occurs in Cucurbita spp. in the north east as also for ashgourd, bottlegourd while for Luffa, it is more concentrated in the eastern peninsular tract.

Indian arid zone is one of the largest sub-tropical deserts of the world, of which 20 % is arid and the remaining semi-arid with varied habitats. The hot arid region is spread over 31.7 million ha mainly in Rajasthan (19.6 m ha), Gujarat (6.22 m ha), Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. Rajasthan is the largest state in the country covering approximately 34.2 m ha geographical area out of which 27.1 m ha (79.08 % of total area) is laying in arid and semi-arid climate, spread over 21 out of 32 districts. Western part of Rajasthan is under hot arid climate (Thar Desert) and it extends from 24º 37’ to 30º 10’ N latitude and 690 29’ to 76º 05’ E longitude. Barmer, Bikaner, Churu, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhunjhunnu, Jodhpur, Nagour, Pali and Sikar districts of Western Rajasthan account for 63.4 % area of  hot arid realm of India. Apart from these, about 10 % area each of Sirohi, Ajmer and Jaipur districts are also in arid region. Punjab and Haryana bound it in North and Gujarat in South. The Aravali hill ranges provide a natural boundary with semi-arid Eastern Rajasthan. In the West, it has a long international boundary with Pakistan.

The Cucurbitaceae family consists of nearly 100 genera and over 750 species. Although most of them have Old World origin (Whitaker and Davis, 1962), many species originated in the New World and at least seven genera have origins in both hemispheres (Esquinas-Alcazar and Gulick, 1983). There is considerable genetic diversity within the family and the range of adaptation for cucurbit species includes tropical and subtropical regions, arid deserts and temperate locations. A few species are adaptable to production at elevations as high as 2000 m. The genetic diversity in cucurbits extends to both vegetative and reproductive characteristics. There is considerable range in the monoploid (x) chromosome number (Jeffrey, 1990) including 7 (Cucumis sativus), 11 (Citrullus spp., Momordica spp., Lagenaria spp., Sechium spp., and Trichosanthes spp.), 12 (Benincasa hispida, Coccinia spp., Cucumis spp. other than C. sativus, and Praecitrullus fistulosus), 13 (Luffa spp.), and 20 (Cucurbita spp.).   Archaeological evidence indicated that cucurbits were present in ancient and prehistoric cultures. Lagenaria was associated with man as early as 12,000 BC in Peru (Esquinas-Alcazar and Gulick, 1983). Archaeological expeditions in the Oaxaca region of Mexico have reported that Cucurbita pepo was associated with man as early as 8500 BC and cultivated by 4050 BC (Esquinas-Alcazar and Gulick, 1983). Written Chinese records describing the use of cultivated cucurbits have been found as early as 685 BC (Herklots, 1972).

Common names:  Sessile joyweed, Joyweed, Dwarf copperleaf (English), Geluti (Hindi), Ponnanganni green (Tamil) Latin names: Alternanthera sessilis (L) Syn: Alternanthera nodiflora R. Br., Gomphrena sessilis (L), llecebrum sessile (L) Linnaeus belongs to family Amaramlnaceaes. Habit and Habitat   Perennial herbs, pantropical, damp shady areas, swamps, pond margins, shallow ditches, road sides, low-lying waste lands, damp pastures, cultivated areas. In New Guinea, «a plant of damp places; ditches, wet headlands, roadsides; sometimes a weed of plantations, particularly at altitudes of 1500 m or higher. From near sea level to over 2000m» (Henty & Pritchard, 1975). In Tonga, «occasional as a waste area weed» (Yuncker, 1959).

Malvaceae, the mallow family, carries herbs, shrubs or trees comprising about 75 genera and perhaps as many as 1,500 species. Hibiscus and Abelmoschus are two important genuses under this plant family. Several species of plants of potential uses come under these two genera about which limited publications are available.  Hibiscus Hibiscus is a large genus of about 200-220 species of flowering plants in  Malvaceae, native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants and woody shrubs and small trees. The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to lanceolate, often with a toothed or lobed margin. The flowers are large, conspicuous, trumpet-shaped, with five petals, ranging from white to pink, red, purple or yellow, and from 4-15 cm broad. The fruit is a dry five-lobed capsule, containing several seeds in each lobe, which are released when the capsule splits open at maturity.

The Mother Nature bestowed humanity with about 250,000 known plant species and perhaps the same or may be higher number of unknown plant species. Out of this treasure, 80,000 plant species are edible but human beings have probably exploited about 3,000 of these species for food and was cultivating about 150 on a commercial scale. However, largely human beings consumed only 20 different kinds of crops the world over and four of which viz. rice, wheat, maize and potato are supplying about 60 % of total calories. Under the circumstances, the food crops base even for well-known crops are shrinking at an alarming rate and in this process, many species have extincted from man’s food bowl. While doing so, we have considerably reduced the range of organic compounds that we now consume, thus making ourselves vulnerable to various stresses. Realising  importance of diverse food base in our life, thinking is going on among people of all lifestyles that more and more crops particularly those, which are known to be edible but have remained as “under-utilised crops”, should be brought into cultivation. This will ensure both food and nutritional security of people. Among these, tuber crops constitute an important crops group, which was sustaining food security much before agriculture came into existence.

Lilies, both Asiatic lilies and Oriental lilies, along with their hybrids are cultivated in very small scale in India, but are classified under high value crops (based on per stem value). Lilies are also capital intensive crops, in terms of high cost of infrastructure required for protected cultivation and bulbs which are imported. This article deals with growing conditions, varieties and other cultural aspects, as well as, practical tips from field conditions, from areas where Liliums are commercially grown in India. Lilies are grouped under “high value flowers” in commercial floriculture parlance and are generally regarded under minor crops in production terms (on quantity produced or on area under production or on per sq.meter yield per year basis).  Lily is in fact a more productive and lucrative crop, specifically so in terms of income (on per sq. meter per year basis) than any other cut flower grown for commercial purposes in the open or protected cultivation in India.

While setting up a garden or landscaping an area, the natural floristic wealth is ignored very often. But many of those flora are much adapted to prevailing soil and climatic conditions of the area. Plants with attractive flowers or foliage could be retained to maintain the natural appearance as well as to reduce cost of landscaping.Very familiar plants of our surroundings having good ornamental value are discussed in this chapter. Goanese Ipecacuanha  Naregamia alata commonly known as Goanese Ipecacuanha is a member of family Meliaceae. It is known as Tinparni in Hindi, Triparnika in Sanskrit, Nilanarakam in Malayalam, Nilanreagam in Tamil and Nelanaringa in Kannada. Common name was derived from its use of roots in treatment of malaria. Vernacular name, Nilanarakam originated from its morphological resemblance to members of Rutaceae. 

Mahua botanically known as Bassia latifolia Roxb, (Hindi name: Mahua, Family: Sapotaceae) is an economical and multipurpose tree. Its flowers, fruits and oil obtained from seeds are eaten in various ways. Corolla commonly called mahua flowers is a rich source of sugar, containing appreciable amount of vitamins and minerals. Flowers are used for preparation of distilled liquors and potable spirits. Flowers and spent flowers (after fermentation) are also used as feed for livestock. Fruits are eaten as raw or cooked. Fruit pulp can be used as a source of sugar for alcoholic fermentation, whereas dry fruit husk can be used for preparation of absolute alcohol. Seed is a good source of oil. Amount of oil obtained from seeds is higher than many oil seed crops and oil seed-bearing trees. Oil obtained from kernel is used for edible purpose and used for preparation of vegetable oil. In Mahua oil, linoleic and unsaturated fatty acids are found which are useful for cardiac patients because it reduces cholesterol content in blood serum. Mahua oil is used in manufacture of soap, lubricating grease, fatty alcohols and candles. Mahua fat is a rich source of palmitic acid used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Mahua seeds can also be used for preparation of defatted flour, which has great potential in bakery products. Saponin obtained after extraction has industrial and commercial applications. Cake obtained after extraction of oil is used as manure and has insecticidal properties. The trees provide quality timber wood for various uses. Every part of Mahua yields an economic product of great potential value; hence it is a very useful tree.

Chironji or Charoli (Buchanania lanzan Spreng Family: Anacardiaceae) is an excellent tree of agro forestry and social forestry. In wasteland development and Dryland horticulture, it assumes great significance due to multifarious uses and capacity to withstand adverse climatic conditions. At present, it is growing under forest condition as an under exploited fruit and gives monitory reward to tribal community of country and seems to be a boon for them. It is a valuable species found in dry deciduous forest throughout the country excluding eastern Himalayan forests (Singh, 1982). Flesh of ripe fruit is very palatable and is largely eaten raw or roasted and oily kernels are the most important part and are used in preparation of sweet meats and puddings (Singh, 1982). Mesocarp of fruit is edible and cherished by children (Munde et al, 2003). Kernel is highly nutritious and rich in protein (18.00 %) and yields sweet oil, which can be used to substitute olive and almond oil. Kernel contains 33.50 % oil, 1.90 % of which is unsaponifiable. Saponifiable part contained 20.00 % of linoleic acid. Chironji oil is non-repellant and non-toxic and is suitable for human consumption (Banerjee and Jain, 1988). Hemawathy and Prabhakar (1988) reported that total kernel lipid extracted from chironji was 65.60 % of dry kernel and consisted of 90.40 % neutral lipids, 3.4 % glycolipids and 6.2 % phospholipids. Kernel can be used for preparation of sweets. It provides quality timber wood for various uses.

Moringa (Moringa oleifera) is one of the most popular perennial vegetables grown in South India. It is commonly grown as a unique vegetable. Its fruits, leaves and flowers are equally useful. They are cut into slices and used in the preparation of a number of food items. Moringa oleifera is the most widely cultivated species of a monogeneric family, the Moringaceae. The tree is indigenous to North West India. It is found wild in the sub Himalayan tract from the river Chenab eastward to the Sarda and in Tarai tract of Uttaranchal in India. Moringa is native to the sub-Himalayan tracts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. This rapidly growing tree (also known as horseradish tree, drumstick tree, benzolive tree, kelor, marango, mlonge, moonga, mulangay, nébéday, saijhan, sajna or Ben oil tree, radish tree, West Indian ben), was utilized by ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians. It is now widely cultivated and has become naturalized in many locations in tropics. It is a perennial softwood tree with timber of low quality, which for centuries was advocated for traditional medicine and industrial uses. The name drumstick is derived from the pod shape resembling slender and curved stick used for beating the drum. Fruits also resemble the siliqua of radish and hence the name “radish tree”.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is a tropical herbaceous plant extensively cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, parts of China and Pakistan.  Country of origin is not known with certainity, it is either of Chineese or Indian origin. India ranks first in area (1.49 lakh ha.) and production (5.27 lakh tonnes.) in the world and it is grown in most of the states in the country.  Major turmeric growing states are Andhra Pradesh (56,000 ha.), Orissa (23,000 ha.), Tamilnadu (17,000 ha.), Assam (12,000 ha.), West Bengal (11,000 ha.) Maharashtra (6,000 ha.)  Karnataka (6,000 ha.) and Kerala (3,000 ha.).  Andhra Pradesh ranks first in area and production in the country. Area under this crop is increasing in North Eastern States. Turmeric belongs to family Zingiberaceae and genus Curcuma. Genus Curcuma has 42 species, of which Curcuma longa is extensively cultivated for culinary purposes, Curcuma aromatica for flavour and recently Curcuma amada (mango ginger) for preparation of chutneys. Turmeric is mainly cultivated for under ground rhizomes, rich in curcumin. Turmeric is traditionally used for medicinal, religious, culinary purposes and also as a cosmetic and dye (Shah 1997). Recent reports in controlling human cancer has given renewed interest on the crop. In Ayurveda, turmeric is regarded as aromatic, a stimulant tonic, carminative and anti helminthic. Essential oil of turmeric is antiseptic and is used in treating gall stones and gall complaints (Pruthi 1976).

Plant family    :    Apiaceae Synonyms       English    :     Puerto Rican  Coriander, Black Benny, Saw leaf herb, Mexican coriander, Saw tooth coriander, Spiny coriander, Fitweed Hindi    :    Bhandhania,Bhandhanya Sanskrit    :    Phiranga Kannada    :    Paramgi Origin and Distribution The plant is native to the Caribbean islands occuring from S.Mexico to Panama, Columbia, Bolivia, Brazil and Cuba to Trinidad. It was introduced to many tropical and subtriopical countries  where it is used as a substitute for coriander.