Abstract: Collection and utilization of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) relate not only to living standards of local people, but also to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in concerned areas. Key informant interview and participatory observation have been used to conduct ethnobotanical field investigations on wild edible plants in the periodic markets in Jinping Autonomous County of Miao, Yao, and Dai in this paper. The results show that diverse wild edible plants were traded at the local main markets, involving 35 species from 27 families. These plants were composed of wild vegetable(82.85%) , wild fruit ( 14 .29%), and wild edible pigment ( 2.86% ). Caesalpiniaceae and Moraceae are two important families which account for 8. 57% of total species respectively. The wild vegetables are mainly from young shoots of trees(34.29%) and aerial parts of grasses (25. 71% ). There are high similarities of the wild edible species between the study area and neighbor regions. The plant parts used and their usages show a significant difference between dry season and rain season. The amounts and prices of wild edible plants in the markets are very low so that the local people′s cash income from the trade of wild edible plants is limited. Women are playing an important role in collecting and trading of wild edible plants in the local community. The geographic location of markets influences the trade of edible plants in the local communities. Based on the market investigation, we conclude that 1) the rich ethonbotanical knowledge remains in the local communities; 2 ) collection and trade of edible plants does not influence the sustainable utilization of biodiversity resources in this area.

Key words: Jinping Autonomous County of Miao , Yao , and Dai