食花被定义为人类可食用，无毒无害且有益健康的花。近年来，随着国内外对新型和健康食物资源的需求急剧增长，使食花展现出广阔的市场前景。物种多样性与食用价值是当前食花资源与产品开发研究的焦点。我国尤其是云南拥有丰富的食花资源和相关传统知识。但是，目前研究多集中在对食花植物自身营养或功能性成分与活性的探讨，未将食花的最佳采集期和必要的采后处理等传统知识考虑在内；此外，一些同科同属相似种类食花的混食或误食现象也较为突出，亟待开展相关物种可食用性的对比研究。本项目拟运用民族植物学方法对云南常见食花（梨属、羊蹄甲属、杜鹃属和木棉属）和相关传统知识进行系统调查。在充分考虑传统利用关键注意事项的基础上，借助食品化学和药理学实验方法，以及胃肠道消化系统模型，从营养物质，功能性成分，抗氧化活性等方面系统评价其食用价值。为特色及功能性食用植物资源发掘，以及区域生物产业发展提供理论依据和技术参考

Edible flowers were defined as flowers that suitable for human consumption as food and with potential health benefits. Edible flowers have showed promising market potentials in recent years as growing demands on healthy and new food products of the global markets. Species diversity and food value of edible flowers are current research focus. China, especially in Yunnan, there is rich species diversity and traditional knowledge of edible flowers. However, most of the studies focus on analyzing nutrients and bioactive chemicals of edible flower plant species without taking traditional knowledge such as optimal collecting periods, methods for processing and use etc. into consideration. In addition, some plant species from same family or genera have been misused as edible flowers, and it is important to identify the edible species. Therefore, this research aim to document traditional knowledge of some commonly used edible flowers (Bauhinia L., Pyrus L., Rhododendron L., Bombax L.) in Yunnan through ethnobotanic survey, and systematic evaluating nutrients, bioactive chemicals and anti-oxidant functions of those edible flowers through food chemistry and pharmaceutical methods, and by employing in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model. This research could provide scientific supports for development of new functional food products from edible flower resources.