Hands up who has ever eaten anything from that list!
People from other continents always surprise me with various fruits they taken for granted their entire life, but I've never heard about, and vice-versa.
Clearly, for instance Welwitschia (1) listed. I think this says a lot about location.
It's a fascinating plant, but it is an endangered species, endemic to the Namib desert. And as far as I know, not that commonly eaten.
2. Thamarai Thandu Uppukari (Lotus Stem Dry Curry): A preparation where the lotus stem is boiled with salt, then deep-fried or stir-fried until light golden brown to create a crispy side dish, often served with rasam rice.
3. Thamarai Kizhangu Vathal (Dried Lotus Root Crisps): A traditional, shelf-stable snack where the lotus stem is sliced, salted, and dried, then fried before consumption.
4. Lotus Petal Paruppu Usili (Steamed Lentil Crumble): A dish made by finely chopping tender inner lotus petals and mixing them with coarsely ground, steamed, and crumbled lentils (dal), similar to traditional Tamil Paruppu Usili.
5. Thamara Vadai (Lotus Stem Fritters): A traditional snack in South India that uses sliced lotus stem in a seasoned batter, similar to a vadai.
Lichen and moss being the most ancient foods makes sense to me based on watching episodes of Alone. You can get calories from that stuff if you're desperate, but it sure doesn't seem a pleasant way to sustain yourself.
On a side note there are 1000s even 10s of thousand of edible plant based species that grow on the earth. i don't know how old they are though.
I need to get food at the market, not wait for it to fall into a trap or fight it to death.
I'm having trouble finding sources for other specific fern species, though many ferns have been around for hundreds of millions of years.