Table 1.
List of wild food plants used in the study area of the Middle Agri Valley
| 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 |
Roman numbers indicate the correlation between the traditional culinary use and a specific part of the plant
RFC Relative Frequency of Citation Index
Medicinal use: in brackets the way the plants are prepared and administered to give the mentioned therapeutic effect