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Table 1 List of wild food plants used in the study area of the Middle Agri Valley

From: Ethnobotanical survey of wild food plants traditionally collected and consumed in the Middle Agri Valley (Basilicata region, southern Italy)

Botanical name

RFC

Botanical family

Part of the plant used

Italian folk name

Culinary use

Medicinal use (preparation and administration)

Allium schoenoprasum L.

0.03

Amaryllidaceae

leaves

 

flavouring

 

Arbutus unedo L.

0.05

Ericaceae

fruits

gan’l

fresh fruits

 

Armoracia rusticana Gaertn., Mey. et Scherb.

0.68

Brassicaceae

roots

rafnt

flavouring, omelettes or with eggs, cheese and pasta

 

Apium nodiflorum (L.) Lag.

0.02

Apiaceae

leaves

crescione

mixed vegetables soup, pan-fried

 

Asparagus acutifolius L.

0.48

Asparagaceae

shoots

sparasc’

fried with eggs and salami

kidney wellbeing (cold cooking water)

Beta vulgaris L. ssp. maritima (L.) Arcang.

0.52

Amaranthaceae

leaves

iet’

alone in soup or with beans, in “stuffed pizza”

 

Borago officinalis L.

0.43

Boraginaceae

leaves

burraccia

alone in soup or with beans, pancakes

 

Cardus pycnocephalus L.

0.05

Asteraceae

stems

cardone, scardunecch’

boiled, pan-fried

 

Carthamus caeruleus L.

0.03

Asteraceae

stems

cardone, scardunecch’

boiled

 

Capparis spinosa L.

0.14

Capparaceae

buds

 

flavouring

 

Cichorium intybus L.

0.95

Asteraceae

leaves

cicoria

salads, alone in soup or with beans or with mixed vegetables

liver wellbeing (cold cooking water and cooked leaves)

Clematis vitalba L.

0.34

Ranuncolaceae

shoots

grambullin’, vitacchia

omelettes, pan-fried with garlic, eggs and salami

 

Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.

0.03

Asteraceae

stems

cardone, scardunecch’

boiled

 

Cornus mas L.

0.05

Cornaceae

fruits

curnal’

fresh fruits

 

Cynara cardunculus L. ssp. cardunculus

0.05

Asteraceae

stems

cardone, scardunecch’

boiled, pan-fried

 

Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC

0.12

Brassicaceae

leaves

 

salad, pasta topping, pizza topping

 

Equisetum arvense L.

0.02

Equisetaceae

shoots

stoccagnung

omelettes, pan-fried

 

Ficus carica L.

0.02

Moraceae

fruits

fic’

fresh fruits

 

Foeniculum vulgare Mill.

0.60

Apiaceae

seeds (I),leaves (II), stems (III)

finuch’

flavouring (I, II), liqueurs (I), mixed vegetables soup (II, III) also with beans

improves digestion (I)

Fragaria vesca L.

0.19

Rosaceae

fruits

 

fresh fruits

 

Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

0.21

Fabaceae

roots (I), leaves and stem (II)

rrarc

rural snack (I)

feet sweating (II)

Humulus lupulus L.

0.19

Cannabaceae

shoots

gupl’

fried with eggs and salami, soup

 

Lactuca serriola L.

0.10

Asteraceae

leaves

scarola

salad

 

Lactuca virosa L.

0.03

Asteraceae

leaves

scarola

salad, soup

 

Laurus nobilis L.

0.14

Lauraceae

leaves

laur’

flavouring

 

Leopoldia comosa (L.) Parl.

0.47

Asparagaceae

bulbs

cipullun’,

pickle, pan-fried

soothing of burning eyes (rubbing on the temples)

Malus sylvestris Mill.

0.02

Rosaceae

fruits

pomo silvestr’

fresh fruits

 

Mentha pulegium L.

0.14

Lamiaceae

leaves

piliesc’

flavouring

 

Mentha spicata L.

0.14

Lamiaceae

leaves

 

flavouring

 

Mespilus germanica L.

0.03

Rosaceae

fruits

nespulë

fresh fruits

 

Morus alba L.

0.03

Moraceae

fruits

cieusi

fresh fruits

 

Origanum vulgare L.

0.19

Lamiaceae

leaves

arigan’

flavouring

 

Papaver rhoeas L.

0.29

Papaveraceae

leaves

paparina

mixed vegetable soup

 

Pastinaca sativa L.

0.22

Apiaceae

roots

rrarc pastanacc’

with eggs, buttered and fried

 

Portulaca oleracea L.

0.31

Portulaceae

leaves

purchiazz’

salad

 

Picris hieracioides L.

0.17

Asteraceae

leaves

spruin’

mixed vegetable soup

 

Prunus spinosa L.

0.07

Rosaceae

fruits

 

fresh fruits

 

Pyrus pyraster (L). Du Roi

0.07

Rosaceae

fruits

 

fresh fruits

 

Robinia pseudoacacia L.

0.09

Fabaceae

flowers

cagg’

rural snack, pancakes

 

Rosmarinus officinalis L.

0.07

Lamiaceae

leaves

 

flavouring

 

Rubus spp.

0.22

Rosaceae

fruits

rivital’

fresh fruits

 

Ruscus aculeatus L.

0.10

Asparagaceae

shoots

 

fried with eggs and salami

 

Sambucus nigra L.

0.10

Adoxaceae

flowers

 

liqueur, omelette, pancake

stomach ache (decoction together with chamomile)

Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn.

0.05

Asteraceae

stems

cardone, scardunecch’

boiled

 

Sinapis alba L.

0.03

Brassicaceae

leaves

sinap’

mixed vegetable soup, pan-fried

 

Sinapis arvensis L.

0.38

Brassicaceae

leaves

ass’n

mixed vegetable soup, pan-fried

 

Sonchus spp. (oleraceus L., asper L., arvensis L.)

0.76

Asteraceae

leaves

sivon’

mixed vegetable soup, pan-fried

 

Sorbus domestica L.

0.10

Rosaceae

fruits

sur’v

fresh fruits

 

Onopordum acanthium L.

0.03

Asteraceae

stems

cardone, scardunecch’

boiled

 

Taraxacum officinalis Weber

0.09

Asteraceae

leaves

pasc’ percor’

mixed vegetable soup, pan-fried

 

Urtica spp. (dioica L., urens L.)

0.29

Urticaceae

leaves

lurdicul’

mixed vegetable soup, omelette

 

Ziziphus jujuba Mill.

0.05

Rhamnaceae

fruits

scesc’l

fresh fruits

 
  1. Roman numbers indicate the correlation between the traditional culinary use and a specific part of the plant
  2. RFC Relative Frequency of Citation Index
  3. Medicinal use: in brackets the way the plants are prepared and administered to give the mentioned therapeutic effect