Ethnobotanical studies on foraging are essential for documenting neglected or previously unknown wild food plants, which may be crucial for promoting the diversification of food sources and contributing to food security and sovereignty. The Pashtuns of the Marwat tribe in NW Pakistan are renowned for their traditional customs and food systems. Studying the wild food plants (WFPs) and their associated bio-cultural diversity is quintessential for fostering food security and sovereignty in the region. The research presented here investigated the area’s wild food plants traditionally gathered and consumed. The field survey was conducted in 2023 with 87 study participants. A total of 41 plant species belonging to 24 botanical families was documented. The findings include food uses for Atriplex tatarica, Amaranthus graecizans, and Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima that have rarely been recorded in Pakistan. Moreover, the use of Citrulus colocynthus fruits in jam and Zygophyllum indicum leaves and stems in beverages are novel contributions to the gastronomy of NW Pakistan. The comparison with other food ethnobotanical studies conducted in North Pakistan suggests some similarities between the Lakki Marwat traditional WFPs and those from other semi-arid areas in North Pakistan, both Pashtun and non-Pashtun. While the findings underline the significant role of WFPs in local cuisine, we observed that this local knowledge is also threatened: the rapid spread of fast and industrialized food, modernization, and cultural dilution has led to an alarming reduction in these practices among the younger generations. Therefore, suitable measures to safeguard traditional plants, food knowledge, practices, and the associated culture are urgently needed. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, and it is crucial that we act now. Furthermore, preserving wild food plant-related cultural heritage may be fundamental to promoting food security and public health.

In this study, we explored the palynological features of melliferous taxa from different areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. We collected and identified eight species belonging to four different families, including Brassica campestris, Brassica juncea, Brassica oleracea, Eruca sativa, Chorispora tenella, Cicer arietinum, Saccharum spontaneum, and Asphodelus tenuifolius. Under microscopy examination, pollen grains exhibit diverse shapes, including oblate-spheroidal and prolate-spheroidal shapes. With the help of statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics 20, the quantitative data of pollen grains was measured. In this study, Asphodelus tenuifolius were reported to have a maximum polar diameter of 46.29 μm and Brassica oleracea had a minimum of 17.97 μm. The apertures of these pollen grains range from monocolpate to tricolpate. Exine sculpturing exhibited psilate and reticulate patterns, with no presence of spines. Quantitative features, such as polar diameter, equatorial diameter, exine thickness, colpi length, colpi width, and P/E ratio, were studied using light microscopy. The data was statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS software. The result of the present study showed the vital role of pollen morphology in plant identification, floral calendar preparation, and honey production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The study presents a novel approach and perspective on honey pollen profiles, revealing the plants visited by honeybees for food. Furthermore, the research contributes to enhancing honey production and improving pollination services.