Table 2. Synthesis of food plants and potentially edible plants occurring in the Caatinga.
| Number | Scientific name | Popular name | Reporting studies | Origin | Edible part | Culinary uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANACARDIACEAE | ||||||
| 1 | Commiphora leptophloeos (Mart.) J.B.Gillett | umburana | et (#14) | native | fruit | raw (spice) |
| 2 | Spondias tuberosa Arruda | umbu; umbuzeiro; imbu | et (#4 #5 #8 #9 #11 #13 #14) | native | fruit; tuber; leaf | raw (juice); cooked (umbuzadai); preserve (jam) |
| APOCYNACEAE | ||||||
| 3 | Mandevilla tenuifolia (J.C. Mikan) Woodson | manofê | et (#4 #5 #8); mx (#7) | native | tuber | raw (salad; juice); preserve (pickles) |
| AQUIFOLIACEAE | ||||||
| 4 | Ilex paraguariensis L. | erva-mate | et (#8) | native | leaf | na |
| ARECACEAE | ||||||
| 5 | Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E.Moore | carnaúba | et (#14 #15) | native | fruit | raw |
| 6 | Syagrus cearensis Noblick | coco-catolé; catolé; coco-babão | et (#4 #5 #8); fc (#6) | native | fruit | na |
| 7 | Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Becc. | licuri; licurizeiro | et (#13) | native | seed | na |
| 8 | Syagrus oleracea (Mart.) Becc. | coco-catolé | et (#14) | native | fruit | raw |
| BORAGINACEAE | ||||||
| 9 | Varronia globosa (Jacq.) Kunth | moleque-duro | et (#8) | native | fruit | na |
| BROMELIACEAE | ||||||
| 10 | Bromelia laciniosa Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f. | macambira; macambira-roxa; macambira-de-porco | et (#8); fc (#12) | native | leaf | cooked (flour/bread) |
| 11 | Encholirium spectabile Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f. | macambira-de-flexa; macambira-de-pedra | mx (#7); et (#8); fc (#12) | native | leaf | cooked (flour/couscousii) |
| 12 | Neoglaziovia variegata (Arruda) Mez | caroá | fc (#12) | native | leaf; fruit | leaf: cooked (flour/couscousii); fruit: cru |
| CACTACEAE | ||||||
| 13 | Cereus jamacaru DC. | mandacaru; cardeiro; babão | et (#4 #5 #8 #13 #15); fc (#6) | native | cladode; fruit | cladode: cooked; fruit: raw; cooked; preserve |
| 14 | Melocactus zehntneri (Britton & Rose) Luetzelb. | coroa-de-frade | et (#8) | native | fruit | na |
| 15 | Pilosocereus gounellei (F.A.C.Weber) Byles & Rowley | xique-xique | fc (#6); mx (#7); et (#8 #15) | native | cladode; fruit | cooked (flour/couscousii); baked |
| 16 | Pilosocereus pachycladus subsp. pernambucoensis (Ritter) Zappi | facheiro | et (#4 #5 #8); fc (#6) | native | cladode; fruit | raw; preserve (candy) |
| 17 | Tacinga inamoena (K.Schum.) N.P.Taylor & Stuppy | cumbeba | fc (#6); et (#8) | native | cladode; fruit | raw; preserve (jam) |
| CAESALPINIACEAE | ||||||
| 18 | Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud. | mororó | et (#8) | native | leaf; seed | na |
| CAPPARACEAE | ||||||
| 19 | Capparis flexuosa (L.) L. | feijão-de-boi | et (#8) | native | seed | na |
| 20 | Crataeva tapia L. | trapiá | et (#4 #5 #8 #13 #14) | native | fruit | raw |
| 21 | Neocalyptrocalyx longifolium (Mart.) Cornejo & Iltis | incó | et (#4 #5 #8) | native | fruit | na |
| CELASTRACEAE | ||||||
| 22 | Monteverdia rigida (Mart.) Biral | bom-nome | et (#8) | native | fruit | na |
| EUPHORBIACEAE | ||||||
| 23 | Cnidoscolus quercifolius Pohl | favela-branca; faveleira | fc (#3); et (#11 #14) | native | seed | cooked (flour) |
| 24 | Cnidoscolus urens (L.) Arthur | urtiga; cansanção | et (#8) | native | seed | na |
| 25 | Croton blanchetianus Baill | marmeleiro | et (#11) | native | na | na |
| 26 | Manihot dichotoma Ule. | maniçoba | mx (#7); et (#8) | native | raw | cooked (flour/beijuiii) |
| 27 | Manihot glaziovii Müll.Arg. | purnunça; maniçoba | mx (#7); et (#8 #13) | native | raw | cooked (flour/beijuiii) |
| 28 | Ricinus communis L. | mamona; azeite | et (#10) | exotic | leaf; flower; fruit; seed | na |
| FABACEAE | ||||||
| raw | Amburana cearensis (Allemão) A.C.Sm. | cumaru | et (#14) | native | fruit | raw |
| 30 | Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth. | feijão-guandu; feijão-andu | et (#13) | exotic | seed | cooked |
| 31 | Dimorphandra gardneriana Tul. | fava-d’anta | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 32 | Dioclea grandiflora Mart. ex Benth | mucunã | mx (#7) | native | seed | cooked (flour/couscousii) |
| 33 | Dioclea megacarpa Rolfe | mucunã; olho-de-boi | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 34 | Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong | orelha-de-macaco; orelha-de-negro | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 35 | Erythrina velutina Willd. | mulungu | fc (#2) | native | seed | cooked |
| 36 | Hymenaea courbaril L. | jatobá | #2 #4 #5 #8 #14 | native | fruit | raw (flour) |
| 37 | Inga edulis Mart. | ingá | et (#8) | native | fruit | na |
| 38 | Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet | feijão-cabricuço; mandatia | #13 | exotic | fruit; flower | cooked; raw |
| 39 | Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P.Queiroz | jucá; pau-ferro | #14 #2 | native | seed | cooked (flour) |
| 40 | Lonchocarpus sericeus (Poir.) Kunth ex DC. | ingá | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 41 | Parkia platycephala Benth. | visgueiro | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 42 | Phaseolus lunatus L. | fava | et (#8) | exotic | seed | na |
| 43 | Piptadenia moniliformis Benth. | catanduva | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 44 | Pterogyne nitens Tul. | madeira-nova | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 45 | Senegalia bahiensis (Benth.) Seigler & Ebinger | espinheiro | et (#8) | native | fruit | na |
| 46 | Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby | mata-pasto | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 47 | Senna occidentalis (L.) Link | manjiroba | #9 | native | na | na |
| 48 | Senna rugosa (G.Don) H.S.Irwin & Barneby | lagarteiro | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| 49 | Caesalpinia bracteosa Tul. | catingueira; catinga-de-porco | fc (#2) | native | seed | na |
| MYRTACEAE | ||||||
| 50 | Myrciaria cauliflora (C. Martius) O. Berg | jabuticaba | et (#8) | native | fruit | na |
| 51 | Psidium schenckianum Kiaersk. | pirim; araçá-do-cerrado | et (#4 #5 #8); fc (#6) | native | fruit | na |
| OLACACEAE | ||||||
| 52 | Ximenia americana L. | ameixa-do-mato; ameixa-silvestre | fc (#1); et (#14) | native | fruit | raw (juice) |
| PASSIFLORACEAE | ||||||
| 53 | Passiflora cincinnata Mast. | maracujá-do-mato; maracujá-brabo; maracujá-de-boi; murucujá | et (#8 #10 #13) | native | fruit; flower; leaf; seed | na |
| 54 | Passiflora foetida L. | maracujá-de-estralo; canapú; maracujá; maracujá-do-mato | et (#8 #9 #14 #15) | native | fruit | raw |
| PIPERACEAE | ||||||
| 55 | Piper marginatum Jacq. | capeba | et (#13) | native | fruit | raw (spice) |
| PORTULACACEAE | ||||||
| 56 | Portulaca oleracea L. | beldroega; bredoégua; caaponga | et (#10 #13) | exotic | leaf; stalk; flower | cooked |
| RHAMNACEAE | ||||||
| 57 | Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. | juá; juazeiro | fc (#6); et (#8 #14 #15) | native | fruit | raw |
| RUBIACEAE | ||||||
| 58 | Genipa americana L. | genipapo; ianupaba; ienipapo | et (#13) | native | fruit | raw; preserve (liquor) |
| SAPINDACEAE | ||||||
| 59 | Talisia esculenta (Cambess.) Radlk. | pitomba; nhua | et (#8 #13) | native | fruit | na |
| SAPOTACEAE | ||||||
| 60 | Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Roem. & Schult.) T.D.Penn. | quixabeira; quixaba | fc (#6); et (#8 #14 #15) | native | fruit | raw |
| SOLANACEAE | ||||||
| 61 | Physalis angulata L. | canapú | et (#15) | exotic | na | na |
| 62 | Solanum agrarium Sendtn. | gogóia; melancia-da-praia | et (#9 #15) | native | na | na |
| 63 | Solanum americanum Mill. | erva-moura; maria-pretinha | et (#10) | native | leaf; fruit | na |
| 64 | Solanum rytidoandrum Sendtn | jurubeba; jurubeba-de-espinho; espinho | et (#10) | exotic | leaf | na |
| VERBENACEAE | ||||||
| 65 | Lantana camara L. | chumbinho | et (#9 #10) | native | stalk; flower; leaf; fruit | na |
#: revised study number (see Table 1)
na: not available
et: ethnobotanical study
fc: food composition study
mx: mixed method study.
i Typical drink from the Northeast region, prepared with the fruit of the cooked umbu, mixed with milk, and sugar.
ii Sweet or salty dish prepared with steamed vegetable flour.
iii Cooked pasta dish prepared from vegetable flour of the genus Manihot.