189WILD VEGETABLES IN FOOD SECURITY OF TRIBAL AND RURAL POPULATION OF KARNATAKANature created elegant life forms in the form of plants for the welfare of human beings. The endowed ancient nomadic people know the simple identification and utilisation of wild edible vegetable plant species by having a transformed traditional knowledge. These wild edible vegetable plants have been playing a significant role in every activity of economically weak people of poor and under - developed countries to fulfil the basic food requisitions of life. The Karnataka state forests is having unique existence, distribution, nutritive value and awareness on wild edible vegetable plants with unique diversity of enticed life forms observed in all parts of the districts. The physical zones of Karnataka state shows Karavali (Coastal), Malnad (Western) and Bayaluseeme (Deccan plateau) sort of land and varied in ecological factors like geological formation, soil, water, climate, rainfall, forest types with unique diversity of wild edible vegetable plants. The ethno botanical survey of wild edible vegetable plant species information was documented by interviewing age olds, housewives of tribal, rural populace and forest department staffs of Karnataka state. The unique scientific methodology is followed to document and photographing the availability of exotic wild edible plant species in their natural habitat along with nutritive values. This extended research work is mainly focussed to document the wild edible vegetable plants species to deliver the authenticated data on identification, availability, folk knowledge and utilisation of easily accessible wild edible vegetable species for the requirement to find the innovative solution to sort out food scarcity problems observed in the surrounding rural and urban populace. A total of 54 wild edible vegetable plant species belonging to 44 genera of 27 families were enlisted for the valued utilisation and further research work to be carried out to trace the nutritive values of wild vegetable plants to the present and extendable generation of Karnataka state.snmathapati@gmail.comResearch522015Wild vegetable,Food,Folk knowledge,Nutritive value, Rural populaceNandini N,Shiddamallayya N,Rama Rao V,Venkateshwarlu GSurvey of Medicinal Plants Unit, National Ayurveda Dietetics Research Institute, G.C.P. Annexe, Ashoka Pillar, Jayanagar Ist Block, Bangalore - 560011,Survey of Medicinal Plants Unit, National Ayurveda Dietetics Research Institute, G.C.P. Annexe, Ashoka Pillar, Jayanagar Ist Block, Bangalore - 560011,Survey of Medicinal Plants Unit, National Ayurveda Dietetics Research Institute, G.C.P. Annexe, Ashoka Pillar, Jayanagar Ist Block, Bangalore - 560011,Survey of Medicinal Plants Unit, National Ayurveda Dietetics Research Institute, G.C.P. Annexe, Ashoka Pillar, Jayanagar Ist Block, Bangalore - 560011