ETHNOMYCOLOGICAL SURVEY OF MUSHROOMS USED FOR FOOD AND MEDICINE IN KOGI CENTRAL SENATORIAL DISTRICT, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

 Mushrooms have only been traditionally used as food and medicine in Kogi Central Senatorial District, Kogi State, Nigeria with little or no scientific information about them. For this reason, it became imperative that a research on the edible and medicinal uses be carried out. The study involves ethnomycological survey of the edible and medicinal mushrooms and these include the collection of data from informants and the collection of mushrooms used as food and medicine in Kogi Central Senatorial District, Kogi State. The survey was conducted in the twenty (20) focal sites followed by the identification, preparation of specimen sample of each species of mushroom and eventual compilation of data and statistical analysis. The targeted informants included traditional medicine practitioners (TMPs), herbalists, herb sellers and other people with reputable knowledge on traditional uses of mushrooms as food and medicine. Some selected samples of at least thirteen (13) interviews were administered in each Local GovernmentArea of Kogi Central Senatorial District (13 x 5 LGAs) making a total of sixty five (65). The data acquired from the survey were compiled and analyzed statistically using the following quantitative methods; Use Value and Fidelity Level. Male accounted for 43.08% while female accounted for 56.92% of the 65 respondents that participated in the survey. Majority of the respondents were elderly people of 51-60 (40.00%) age bracket. Other persons made up to 60.00%. Of the eleven mushroom species obtained from the ethnomycological survey, the percentage composition of edible species is 63% while the non-edible species is 37%. Pleurotus tuber-regium has the highest fidelity level (76.57%) while Chlorophyllum molybdites has the lowest fidelity level (25.00%).