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Table 2 Food uses of plants in some areas of Calabria (Southern Italy)

From: Contribution to the knowledge of the veterinary science and of the ethnobotany in Calabria region (Southern Italy)

Family, scientific name, local name (voucher specimen)

Used Part

Use

Preparation/Administration

N *

Locality

Habitat

AMARANTHACEAE

      

Amaranthus retroflexus L.

Ys

Food use

Picked before the flowering

1

CR

Cu, ru

BORAGINACEAE

      

Borago officinalis L. – borragina CLU3

Le

Food use

In salad (finely minced leaves)

1

AC

Unc, pig,

 

Fl

Dye for aromatic vinegars

 

1

AC

co

CAPRIFOLIACEAE

      

Sambucus nigra L. CLU 5

Fl

Used in cookery

Flowers in oil to make the classic fritters ("pitte ccu majiu")

5

CI

Ru, di,to

COMPOSITAE

      

Centaurea napifolia L. – zimurro Mat1, C. sphaerocephala L. – zimurro Mat2

Ap

Food use

Plants, peeled from thorns, were eaten cooked

1

AR

Be

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner – cardu marianu

Yle

Food use

In salad

2

MT, SE

Fi, unc,ru

 

Ro, fh

Food use

Boiled with other vegetables

2

MT, SE

 

Taraxacum officinale Weber – ricottedda, cicorione

Le

Food use

In mixed salad or as boiled vegetable

3

CS, MT,SE

Unc, ru, me

ERICACEAE

      

Arbutus unedo L.

Fr

Food use

Astringent jam

2

CT, SS

Tema

FAGACEAE

      

Castanea sativa Miller – castagno CLU12

Fr

Fruits were the main food in periods of famine for people that carried out heavy jobs

Cooked fruits

5

CI

Oawo*

JUGLANDACEAE

      

Juglans regia L. – noce CLU17

Hu

To make a liqueur ("nocino")

Macerate in alcohol

5

CI

Wo, di

LABIATAE

      

Mentha spicata L. – amenta Mat4

Le

Seasoning

To season dishes

1

VA

Dame

Origanum heracleoticum L. – rigunu CLU19

Le

To season the salad

It was collected in summer

5

CI

Drme

Rosmarinus officinalis L. – rosimarinu CLU20

Le

Seasoning

On meats

5

CI

Sa, tema

Salvia officinalis L. – sarbia CLU21

Le

Flavouring in cookery

 

5

CI

Drme, ru

LAURACEAE

      

Laurus nobilis L. CLU22

Le

To obtain the "panicottu", bread seasoned with oil

As basis of broth for the "panicottu" (given to children)

5

CI

 
 

Le

As spice in cookery

On meats, among dried figs etc.

5

CI

 

LEGUMINOSAE

      

Phaseolus vulgaris L. – fagiuoli

Se

Substitute of the coffee

Roasted seeds

1

AC

Cu

Spartium junceum L. CLU23

Fbu

Food use

Eaten after preserving in vinegar (above all in the past)

2

SS, CT

 

MORACEAE

      

Ficus carica L. – see footnote (1) CLU28

Fr

Food use ("fichi 'mbottiti")

Dried figs are cut and filled with almonds, walnuts, chocolate, spices; then they are browned in oven

1

CS

Ru,wa

MYRTACEAE

      

Myrtus communis L. – Murzìla (CS), murtidda (MR) CLU29

Br

To obtain the "tortaniddi"

White dried figs are run through partly pruned branches

2

CS, MR

Tema

ONAGRACEAE

      

Epilobium angustifolium L. – garofanino

Ys, st

Food use

In salad

1

MT

Dame, cle (be-wo)

PLANTAGINACEAE

      

Plantago major L. – simula

Le

Food use

Tender leaves are good ingredient for soups

1

AC

Ro, ru, da

PORTULACACEAE

      

Portulaca oleracea L. – purchiacchia – CLU31

Yle

Food use

In salad or boiled

2

MT, SE

Cu, ru

RANUNCULA-CEAE

      

Clematis vitalba L. – grambuntine

Ys

Food use

Boiled in soups or in omelette

1

MR

He, wo

Ranunculus ficaria L – favucello

Yle

Food use

In salad

2

MT, SE

Dame

 

Ap

Food use

As a vegetable (soups, other dishes)

2

CT, SS

 

URTICACEAE

      

Urtica dioica L. – ardicela CLU40

Ap

Food use for children in growth (tonic treatment)

By boiling and seasoning with oil

5

CI

Ru

  1. * = citations
  2. Localities: AC Acri; AR Ardore; CI Cirò; CR Crùcoli; CS Castrovillari; CT Cittanova; MR Morano; MT Montauro; SE S.Elia ; SS S.Stefano di Aspromonte; VA Vallefiorita
  3. Plant parts used: Ap aerial part; Br branches; Fl flowers; Fr fruit; Hu husk; Le leaves; Ro root; Se seeds; St stem; Yle young leaves; Ys young sprouts.
  4. Habitat: Be beachs; Bewo beech woods; Cle clearings; Co cowsheds; Cu cultivated species or cultivations; Da damp areas; Dame = damp meadows; Di ditches; Drme dry meadows; Fi fields; He hedges; Me meadows; Oawo* oak woods included Q. cerris woods; Pig around the pigsties; Ro rocks; Roa roads; Ru ruins; Sa sandy places (grounds); Tema termophile maquises; To along torrents; Unc uncultivated areas; Wa walls; Wo woods.
  5. (1) The small unripe fruit is named 'cuzzummeru', and when in May-June it become ripe, it is named 'botta'. In August other 'cuzzummeri' (the true figs) mature (CS).