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Table 3 Wild food plants used in Belarus according to Rostafiński’s respondents

From: Wild edible plants of Belarus: from Rostafiński’s questionnaire of 1883 to the present

Scientific name

Rel.

Local name in 19th c.

Part used

Use

Vo.

Letter****

  

Names used by Poles marked with PL

    

Acer platanoides L.

H

klon

sap

fresh or added to sour soups

50

FED, WOJ

Acorus calamus L.

L

ajer, tatarak

leaves

leaves added under baking bread (which was supposed to have carminative properties as well)

 

LAS

Aegopodium podagraria L.

H

śnitka, snitka, sznitka, śniatka, PL: śnitka

aerial parts

soups, sour and non-sour, potherb, rarely dried for winter use

4

CZA, DYB, FED, KOR, LAS, LES, NAR, OSS, SLO, TWA, WOJ

Allium sp. ?

N

PL: czosnek dziki

n.d.

n.d.

 

LAS

Anchusa arvensis (L.) M.Bieb.

H

padasocik, PL: podosocik

aerial parts

non-sour soups

11

FED

Anethum graveolens L. (?)

N

kopr

aerial parts

spice

 

LES

Armoracia rusticana G.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Schreb

O

chrin, PL: chrzan

n.d.

so obvious that use not given, only one author wrote about salad with vinegar

 

(LAS, LES, NAR, NIE, OSS, TWA,WOJ)

Berberis vulgaris L.

N

berberys (also PL)

fruits

raw

 

FED

Betula spp.

H

bereza, bieroza, PL: brzoza

sap

fresh, added to sour soups, fermented into a refreshing drink with dried apples, bread rinds and oak bark, or sugar

45

FED, NIE, WOJ

Carum carvi L.

L

kmin

fruits

spice for bread, sauerkraut, fresh cheese, spirits

 

CZA, DYB, FED, OSS, SLO, WOJ, (LAS, ONU)

Centaurea cyanus L.

H

wałoszka, PL: wołoszka, włoszka, bławatki

very young shoots

non-sour soups

9

FED, KOR

Chenopodium album L.

H

lebieda, PL: lebioda

aerial parts

non-sour soups, dried for winter use

14

FED, KOR, CZA, ONU, OSS, WOJ, (TWA)

Cirisum arvense (L.) Scop.

H

asot, PL: oset

aerial parts

non-sour soups

10

FED

Convolvulus arvenis L.

H

bierozka,PL: bierozka, brzózka

aerial parts

non-sour soups

7

FED

Corylus avellana L.

H

harieszyna; PL: orzechy, orzeszyna, leszczyna

fruits

n.d.

48

FED, LAS

Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á.Löve

H

podbierozka (also PL)

aerial parts

non-sour soups

8

FED

Fragaria spp., mainly F. vesca L.

H

sunicy, paziomki, poziemi, sunyca, PL: poziomki

fruits

raw

26

FED, OSS, (LAS, NIE, WOJ)

Glyceria fluitans (L.) R.Br. and most likely other related Glyceria species

L

manna (also PL), majńo

grains

made into groat (kasha), mainly boiled in milk, sold in the market of Pińsk, in many places stopped being used in the 1850-60s

 

FED, LAS, NIE, ONU, OSS, SLO, TWA, WOJ

(in the letters as Glyceria and Glyceria fluitans)

      

Helianthus tuberosus L.*

N/D

bulba, bulwa

bulbs

roasted or fried, mainly planted but one report says that it was very persistent and ”self-sowing”

 

(DYB, NAR, ONU, TWA, WOJ)

Heracleum sphondylium L.

H

borszcz, barszcz, barszczewnik, PL: borszcz, barszcz

 

sour soups, potherb, often dried for winter

19

CZA, DYB, FED, OSS, SLO, TWA, (LAS)

Lamium sp. or Pulmonaria sp.?

N

miedunka

aerial parts

potherb

 

CZA

Nymphaea alba L.

L

[grzybienie]

seeds

n.d.

 

NIE

Oxalis acetosella L.

H

zazulin szczawiej, PL: szczaw kukawki, szczaw zajęczy

leaves

sour soups

17

FED, (WOY)

Papaver somniferum L.*

L

samosiejka, widuk

seeds

“for ordinary use ”, i.e. bread and sweets

-

DYB

Plantago major L.

H

babka (also PL)

leaves

non-sour soups

6

FED2

Plantago sp.

L

tryputnik

leaves

sour soups, potherb

 

OSS, SLO

Polygonum aviculare L. or Plantago major L. ?

N

podorożnik

aerial parts

sour soup

 

OSS

Polygonum bistorta L. (syn. Bistorta major S. E. Gray)

H

oborocień, obaracień, oberek, ober, PL: ober

leaves, seeds

sour soup, seeds for flatbread, particularly in the 1855 famine

2

DYB, FED

Prunus padus L.

O

czeremcha czeremszyna, czeromcha, PL: czeremcha

fruits

n.d.

23**

FED

Prunus spinosa L.

L

PL: tarnina

fruits

n.d.

 

(LAS)

Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn

H

paporocień, paporotnik, PL: paproć

rhizomes

dried, ground and mixed with ordinary flour to make bread

1

FED2

Pyrus pyraster L.

L

PL: gruszki dziczki

fruits

raw and conserved

 

ONU

Quercus robur L.

O

dub

leaves

under baking bread (added also due to its carminative properties as well)

 

LAS

Ranunculus repens L.

H

padśnitnik, PL: podśnitnik

 

non-sour soups

5

FED

Raphanus raphanistrum L.

A

swierzepa, sweripa, świrzepa

leaves

soups, potherb

 

NIE, TWA

Ribes nigrum L.

N

smrodziny, smorodinka, smrodyna, PL: smrodziny, czarne porzeczki

fruits, leaves

fruits raw, leaves used in manors to make a fizzy drink and to make vodka taste “older” (NIE)

 

FED, NIE, WOJ, (LAS)

Ribes spicatum Robson

N/R

parieczki, PL: porzeczki

fruits

raw

 

FED

Ribes uva-crispa L.

L

jagrest, PL: agrest

fruits

raw

 

FED

Rosa sp.

O

PL: róża

flowers

formerly fried in batter, in a Polish manor, rare

 

SLO

Rubus idaeus L.

O

maliny (also PL), małyna

fruits

raw

 

FED, OSS, WOJ, (LAS, NIE)

Rubus nessensis W.Hall

D/R

jaryna

fruits

raw

 

WOJ

Rubus saxatilis L.

H

kościanicy, PL: kościanki

fruits

raw

28

FED

Rubus subgenus Rubus (probably mainly Rubus plicatus L., R. nessensis W.Hall and R. caesius L.)

H

ażyny, czornyje maliny, ożyna, PL: ożyny

fruits

raw

24

FED, WOJ, (NIE, LAS)

Rumex acetosa L.

H

szczawiej, PL: szczaw

leaves

sour soups

16

FED

Rumex crispus L.

H

karpacz (also PL)

leaves

sour soups

20

FED

Rumex sp. (probably mainly R. acetosa L.)

 

szczaw, szczawel

leaves and stalks

raw and in sour soups, as OSS put: “with kvas, whey, sweet or sour milk, butter milk, cream or pig fat (slonina) with vinegar”

 

NIE, OSS, ONU, SLO, (CZA)

Rumex thyrsiflorus Fing.

H

harabiniec, PL: szczaw polny

leaves

sour soups

18

FED

Sambucus nigra L.

N

PL: bez

flowers

formerly fried in batter, in a Polish manor, rare

 

SLO

Scirpus lacustris L.

L

[sitowie]

young stalks

raw

 

NIE

Silene vulgaris (Moecnch)Garcke

H

laskouka,PL: laskówka

aerial parts

non-sour soups, dried for winter use

12

FED

Silene vulgaris (?)

N

łuskawka

aerial parts

potherb

 

KOR

Sinapis arvensis L.

H

redźkouka, świerepa, PL: świrepa, świerżop

 

non-sour soups, dried for winter use

15

FED

Sinapis arvensis L. or Raphanus raphanistrum L.

N

świrzepa

leaves

soup or with kasha

 

ONU, (TWA)

Sorbus aucuparia L.

N

PL: jarzębina

fruits

raw after freezing

 

CZA

Stellaria media (L.) Vill.

H

makryca bieła, PL: mokrzyca biała

aerial parts

non-sour soups, dried for winter use

62***

FED

Trapa natans L.

L

PL: orzechy wodne

seeds

raw and boiled

 

NIE

Urtica spp. (3 records confirm U. dioica L. and 4 rec. – U. urens L.)

H

krapiwa, kropiwa, kropywa, życzka, żyszka, żyżka, prokywa, prokiwa, pokrzywka, krapiwa piekuszcza, U. urens also rzeszka, rzyczkaja krapiwa; PL: rzeszka, pokrzywa, U. urens also: żagawka, żegawka, rzeszka

aerial parts

non-sour and sour soups

U. urens - 3

CZA, DYB, FED, LAS, LES, NAR, ONU, OSS, TWA, WOJ, (SLO)

Vaccinium myrtillus L.

L/O

czarnica, czernyca, czernica, czarnicy, czornyje jahody, czerniec; PL: czernice, czarne jagody

fruits

raw, commonly dried; also boiled with milk into a kind of soup

27

DYB, FED, OSS, NIE, WOJ, (LAS)

Vaccinium oxycoccos L.

L/O

żurauliny, żurachwyna, PL: żurawiny, żórawiny

fruits

raw, stored for months in water, in manors made into kissel (with potato flour)

 

DYB, FED, OSS, NIE, WOJ, (LAS)

Vaccinium uliginosum L.

L/O

durnicy, bałabony, łochwaczi, PL: durnice

fruits

raw

 

FED, FED2, NIE, (LAS), whereas WOJ says that it is narcotic

Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.

L/O

brusznicy (also PL), bruśnica, brusznyca

fruits

raw, in manors made into jams and pickles

25

FED, OSS, WOJ, (DYB, LAS, NIE)

Veronica cf persica Poiret

H

makryca bieła, PL: mokrzyca biała

aerial parts

non-sour soups, dried for winter use

13, 62***

FED

Viola cf odorata L.

N

PL: fiołki

flowers

formerly fried in batter, in a Polish manor, rare

 

SLO

?

 

mirsik

aerial parts

soups

 

SLO

?

 

mrzyk

aerial parts

soups

 

SLO

?

 

opich

aerial parts

soups

 

SLO

?

 

saładucha, smaktucha, PL: sołoducha

aerial parts

non-sour soups

 

FED

?

 

zieziulina sałata

aerial parts

raw as salad (like lettuce)

 

FED

  1. Rel. Reliability of identification (after [2]): H Confirmed by voucher specimen; O Obvious common name universally used over a large area; L Probable Latin name or scientific name used in the language of a given country, given by a non-botanist; N Determined using comparative analysis of folk names; R determined with the help of the data of a species range or/and habitat; D determined with the help of the verbal description.
  2. * A non-native cultivated species also collected from the populations escaped from cultivation.
  3. ** The voucher specimen belongs to Euonymus europaea L., an obvious mistake.
  4. *** The name makryca bieła seems to refer to both Stellaria media and Veronica cf persica Poiret. Although in the part of Federowski’s herbarium devoted to edible plants only Veronica occurs (no. 13), in the medicinal herbarium both taxa are put together under the same name (no. 62). As the two species often grow together and have a mild taste, and bearing in mind that Stellaria media is still called makryca in Belarus, we infer that both taxa were probably used.
  5. **** Letter codes are created from the first three letters of the author’s name, full names are given in Table 1. Author codes given in brackets mean that the species was mentioned but it is not clear if it was used as food.
  6. Vo Voucher specimen number given by Federowski.