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Table 1 The most frequently listed plant species gathered in the wild at the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (free lists, n=36, frequency >6). w=growing in the wild, c=cultivated in the garden

From: Gathering “tea” – from necessity to connectedness with nature. Local knowledge about wild plant gathering in the Biosphere Reserve Grosses Walsertal (Austria)

Scientific name

German name

Family

Frequency

Mean rank

Smith’s S

Status*

Alchemilla alpina L. agg.

Silbermantel

Rosaceae

30

8.2

0.58

w

Alchemilla vulgaris L. agg.

Frauenmantel

Rosaceae

30

8.8

0.57

w

Calendula officinalis L.*

Ringelblume

Asteraceae

29

10.6

0.49

c

Sambucus nigra L.

Schwarzer Holunder

Caprifoliaceae

29

13.9

0.38

w, c

Achillea millefolium L.

Schafgarbe

Asteraceae

28

10.8

0.47

w

Hypericum perforatum L.

Johanniskraut

Hyperiaceae

28

11.8

0.46

w, c

Rhododendron sp.**

Alpenrose

Ericaceae

26

11.3

0.41

w

Urtica dioica L.

Brennnessel

Urticaceae

23

11.3

0.38

w

Rubus idaeus L.*

Himbeere

Rosaceae

22

15.2

0.30

w, c

Mentha sp. *

Pfefferminze

Lamiaceae

21

10.7

0.37

c

Plantago lanceolata L.

Spitzwegerich

Plantaginaceae

20

10.3

0.35

w

Arnica montana L.

Arnika

Asteraceae

20

10.4

0.35

w

Primula veris L./Primula elatior (L.) L.****

Schlüsselblume

Primulaceae

20

12.0

0.34

w

Abies alba MILL./Picea abies (L.) H. KARST.*****

Tanne

Pinaceae

19

12.9

0.31

w

Matricaria chamomilla L.*

Kamille

Asteraceae

19

15.7

0.23

c

Thymus serphyllum L. agg.

Wilder Thymian

Lamiaceae

18

12.7

0.27

w

Salvia officinalis L.*

Salbei

Lamiaceae

18

14.6

0.22

c

Trifolium pratense L.

Rotklee

Fabaceae

17

12.5

0.26

w

Taraxacum officinale WEBER

Löwenzahn

Asteraceae

16

12.4

0.28

w

Vaccinium myrtillis L.

Heidelbeere

Ericaceae

16

17.2

0.16

w

Melissa officinalis L.*

Zitronen Melisse

Lamiaceae

15

12.5

0.20

c

Fragaria vesca L.

Erdbeere

Rosaceae

15

16.2

0.20

w

Malva neglecta WALLR.

Käspappel

Malvaceae

15

18.5

0.17

w

Tussilago farfara L.

Huflattich

Asteraceae

14

12.9

0.21

w

Juniperus communis L.

Wacholder

Cupressaceae

14

13.7

0.19

w

Equisetum arvense L.

Acker Schachtelhalm

Equisetaceae

14

15.7

0.20

w

Tilia sp.

Linde

Tiliaceae

14

17.4

0.16

w, c

Bellis perennis L.

Gänseblümchen

Asteraceae

13

12.1

0.23

w

Rubus fruticosus L. agg.

Brombeere

Rosaceae

12

13.8

0.18

w, c

Ribes nigrum L.*

Schwarze Johannisbeere

Grossulariaceae

11

13.5

0.15

c

Peucedanum ostruthium (L.) W.D.J.KOCH

Meisterwurz

Apiaceae

10

14.0

0.15

w

Artemisium absinthum L.

Wermut

Asteraceae

10

15.1

0.13

w, c

Trifolium repens L.***

Weissklee

Fabaceae

9

14.4

0.11

w

Origanum vulgare L.

Wilder Majoran

Lamiaceae

8

13.1

0.13

w

Sambucus racemosa L.

Roter Holunder

Caprifoliaceae

8

18.1

0.09

w

Pinus mugo TURRA

Latsche

Pinaceae

8

20.0

0.09

w

Euphrasia officinalis L.p.p.

Augentrost

Scrophulariaceae

8

20.0

0.07

w

Rosmarinus officinalis L.*

Rosmarin

Lamiaceae

8

20.5

0.08

c

Rosa sp.*

Rose

Rosaceae

7

14.8

0.09

c

Monarda didyma L.*

Gold Melisse

Lamiaceae

7

16.8

0.06

c

Symphytum officinale L.

Beinwell

Boraginaceae

7

18.1

0.09

w

Lavandula officinalis Chaix, L. spica L., L. vera*

Lavendel

Lamiaceae

7

20.0

0.06

c

  1. * Respondents were asked for “wild species gathered”. Nevertheless respondents also mention species i) that used to be gathered in the wild and are now grown in gardens and ii) cultivated species.
  2. ** Under the term Rhododendron sp., Rh. ferrugineum and Rh. hirsutum are sub-summarised – respondents do not seem to distinguish between these two species in their local name “Alpenrose”. Some respondents use it as the generic term, for some they are just the same plant. Only a few would distinguish between Rhodedendron ferrugineum and call it “Alpenrose” and Rhododendron hirsutum and call it “Steinrösli”.
  3. *** The local name “Weißklee” is translated with the scientific name Trifolium repens. Under this term, T. montanum, T. thalii, T. hybridum are sub-summarised as respondents do not distinguish between the white flowering clover plants.
  4. **** Only a few respondents distinguished between Primula elatior (which they call “Schlüsselblume”) and Primula veris (which they call “Himmelschlüssel”). Usually, the local name “Schlüsselblume” and “Himmelschlüssel” were used synonymously.
  5. ***** The local name “Tanne” can be either Abies alba (“Weißtanne”) or Picea abies (“Rottanne”). Some respondents distinguish between these two species; others refer to both plant species using the term “Tanne”.