Sudhnoti is one of the districts of state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir lies in western Himalayas. It has a rural landscape with biocultural diversity, and it is still characterized by traditional medicinal practices for the treatment of different ailments. There is currently no record of the wild edible fruit plants that the indigenous populations of district Sudhnoti have traditionally used. This study aimed (i) to document the species of wild plants whose fruits people eat in district Sudhnoti, Azad Kashmir and (ii) to contribute to medicine and food supplement research by finding wild edible fruit plants for specific therapeutic applications and identifying the diseases addressed. The data about the ethnomedicinal uses of wild edible fruit plants were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and guided field trips. The data was analyzed using quantitative indices including frequency of citation, use report of each species, use report for each ailment, consensus upon the use of plants, consensus upon the method of applications, and consensus upon the plant parts used. Hundred informants (74 male and 26 female) were interviewed during the study. A total of 27 plants species were recorded whose fruits were edible. The plants of these 27 species were also used as medicines against 13 disease categories. Among the disease categories, the highest use reports were recorded for diseases of the circulatory system (79) and diseases of the digestive system (77). The most frequently used medicinal plants were Berberis lycium (FC 55 and URsp 72) and Rubus elipticus (FC 44 and URsp 44). The most used part of the plant was the fruit, and the most used method of application was raw material in the form of ripen fruit. In addition, 5 plant species have been discovered to have novel applications, including Cydonia oblonga for weakness, Fragaria vesca for fever, Rubus elipticus for uric acid, Morus nigra for goitre, and Vitis jacqumontii for allergies. District Sudhnoti is found to have a rich source of wild fruiting plants that can be used not only for food purposes but also for the treatment of different diseases. The people of district Sudhnoti have rich knowledge about the medicinal uses of wild edible fruit plants. However, due to environmental deterioration and acculturation, this ethnomedicinal knowledge is in grave danger, and the younger generation has shown symptoms of forgetting and abandoning it. As a result, immediate action is required to document and conserve the knowledge of wild plant resource utilization.

Keywords: District Sudhnoti; wild edible fruit plants; ethnomedicinal knowledge