Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

Abstract Background The Republic of Georgia is part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, and human agricultural plant use dates back at least 6000 years. Over the last years, lots of ethnobotanical research on the area has been published. In this paper, we analyze the use of food plants in the 80% of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces. We hypothesized that (1) given the long tradition of plant use, and the isolation under Soviet rule, plant use both based on home gardens and wild harvesting would be more pronounced in Georgia than in the wider region, (2) food plant use knowledge would be widely and equally spread in most of Georgia, (3) there would still be incidence of knowledge loss despite wide plant use, especially in climatically favored agricultural regions in Western and Eastern Georgia. Methods From 2013 to 2019, we interviewed over 380 participants in all regions of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces and recorded over 19,800 mentions of food plants. All interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes and gardens by native speakers of Georgian and its dialects (Imeretian, Rachian, Lechkhumian, Tush, Khevsurian, Psavian, Kakhetian), other Kartvelian languages (Megrelian, Svan) and minority languages (Ossetian, Ude, Azeri, Armenian, Greek). Results The regional division was based primarily on historic provinces of Georgia, which often coincides with the current administrative borders. The total number of taxa, mostly identified to species, including their varieties, was 527. Taxonomically, the difference between two food plant groups—garden versus wild—was strongly pronounced even at family level. The richness of plant families was 65 versus 97 families in garden versus wild plants, respectively, and the difference was highly significant. Other diversity indices also unequivocally pointed to considerably more diverse family composition of wild collected versus garden plants as the differences between all the tested diversity indices appeared to be highly significant. The wide use of leaves for herb pies and lactofermented is of particular interest. Some of the ingredients are toxic in larger quantities, and the participants pointed out that careful preparation was needed. The authors explicitly decided to not give any recipes, given that many of the species are widespread, and compound composition—and with it possible toxic effects—might vary across the distribution range, so that a preparation method that sufficiently reduces toxicity in the Caucasus might not necessary be applicable in other areas. Conclusions Relationships among the regions in the case of wild food plants show a different and clearer pattern. Adjacent regions cluster together (Kvemo Zemo Racha, and Zemo Imereti; Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara, Lechkhumi and Kvemo and Zemo Svaneti; Meskheti, Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli; Mtianeti, Kakheti, Khevsureti, Tusheti. Like in the case of the garden food plants, species diversity of wild food plants mentioned varied strongly. Climate severity and traditions of the use of wild food plants might play role in this variation. Overall food plant knowledge is widely spread all-across Georgia, and broadly maintained.

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Unity in Diversity - Food Plants and Fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

10.21203/rs.3.rs-753320/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rainer W Bussmann ◽

Narel Y Paniagua Zambrana ◽

Inayat Ur Rahman ◽

Zaal Kikvidze ◽

Shalva Sikharulidze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diversity Indices ◽

Food Plant ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Minority Languages ◽

Republic Of Georgia ◽

Plant Use ◽

The Difference

Abstract Background: The Republic of Georgia is part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, and human agricultural plant use dates bat at least 6000 years. Over the last years lots of ethnobotanical research on the area has been published. In this paper we analyze the use of food plants in the 80% of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces. We hypothesized that, (1) given the long tradition of plant use, and the isolation under Soviet rule, plant use both based on home gardens and wild harvesting would be more pronounced in Georgia than in the wider region, (2) food plant use knowledge would be widely and equally spread in most of Georgia, (3) there would still be incidence of knowledge loss despite wide plant use, especially in climatically favored agricultural regions in Western and Eastern Georgia.Methods: From 2013 to 2019 we interviewed over 380 participants in all regions of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces and recorded over 19800 mentions of food plants. All interviews were carried out in the participants’ homes and gardens by native speakers of Georgian and its dialects (Imeretian, Rachian, Lechkhumian, Tush, Khevsurian, Psavian, Kakhetian), other Kartvelian languages (Megrelian, Svan) and minority languages (Ossetian, Ude, Azeri, Armenian, Greek). Results: The regional division was based primarily on historic provinces of Georgia, which often coincides with the current administrative borders. The total number of taxa, mostly identified to species, was 474. Taxonomically, the difference between two food plant groups - garden versus wild - was strongly pronounced even at family level. The richness of plant families was 66 versus 97 families in garden versus wild plants, respectively, and the difference was highly significant. Other diversity indices also unequivocally pointed to considerably more diverse family composition of wild versus garden plants as the differences between all the tested diversity indices appeared to be highly significant.Conclusions: Relationships among the regions in the case of wild food plants show a different and clearer pattern. In particular, adjacent regions cluster together (Kvemo Zemo Racha, and Zemo Imereti; Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara, Lechkhumi and Kvemo and Zemo Svaneti; Meskheti, Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli; Mtianeti, Kakheti, Khevsureti, Tusheti. Like in the case of the garden food plants, species diversity of wild food plants mentioned varied strongly. Climate severity and traditions of the use of wild food plants might play role in this variation. Overall food plant knowledge is widely spread all across Georgia, and broadly maintained

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Nutrtional profile of some selected food plants of Otwal and Ngai sub counties Oyam district, northern Uganda

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ◽

10.18697/ajfand.57.10450 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (57) ◽

pp. 7428-7451

Author(s):

A Acipa ◽

◽

M Kamatenesi-Mugisha ◽

H Oryem-Origa

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Food Plant ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Mineral Nutrient ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Nutrient Deficiencies ◽

Indigenous Plants ◽

General Decline

Wild food plants play an important role in the diet of inhabitants of Oyam District. Some of these plants are drought -resistant and gathered throughout the year . These wild foods are an important source of nutrients. However, there is a lack of comprehensive data re garding the nutrient content s of these indigenous plants. The purpose of this study was to document and assess the nutrient and mineral content s of the selected food plants. Ethnobotanical surveys were used to collect data through formal and informal inter views and focused group discussions. Voucher specimens were collected during field excursions and taken to Makerere Herbarium for proper identification . Nutrients and mineral analyses of wild and cultivated fruits, seeds, underground organs and vegetables from Ngai and Otwal sub counties were carried out using known procedures. They were analysed for mineral nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus concentrations. Additionally nutrients such proteins, beta carotene, vitamin C and dietary fibre were determined . On average, vegetables were found to be richer in organic nutrients and minerals followed by fruits and seeds in that order . Generally the wild food plant species were found to be richer sources of mineral nutrient than their cultivated relatives. F or example , the highest concentration of calcium 867.59 mg/100g was found in Acalypha bipartita leaves compared to 294.18 mg/100g in Cleome gynandra . Plant species that showed high iron contents [>30% ] were leaves of swamp hibiscus , African spider flowers , fruits of Tamarind , Black night shade and Jews mallow . It was also noted that among the food plant species analysed, fruits were low in nutrients and mineral elements. Some of these food plants were also considered to have medicinal properties by the locals such as African spider flower, Rattle pod among others. However, it should be noted that there is a general decline in the consumption of wild plants , despite the apparent high nutritional values . T he conservation of wild food plants is not taking place among the communities in the study area, thus the poor rural communities who are limited on balancing their diet could be faced with diseases associated with nutrient deficiencies .

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Active Wild Food Practices among Culturally Diverse Groups in the 21st Century across Latgale, Latvia

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10060551 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 551

Author(s):

Baiba Prūse ◽

Andra Simanova ◽

Ieva Mežaka ◽

Raivo Kalle ◽

Julia Prakofjewa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Culturally Diverse ◽

Food Plant ◽

Border Region ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Ethnobotanical Study ◽

Ecological Knowledge ◽

Wild Food Plant

Local ecological knowledge (LEK), including but not limited to the use of wild food plants, plays a large role in sustainable natural resource management schemes, primarily due to the synergy between plants and people. There are calls for the study of LEK in culturally diverse areas due to a loss of knowledge, the active practice of utilizing wild plants in various parts of the world, and a decline in biodiversity. An ethnobotanical study in a border region of Latvia, characterised by diverse natural landscapes and people with deep spiritual attachments to nature, provided an opportunity for such insight, as well as the context to analyse wild food plant usages among different sociocultural groups, allowing us to explore the differences among these groups. Semi-structured interviews were carried out as part of a wider ethnobotanical field study to obtain information about wild food plants and their uses. The list of wild food plant uses, derived from 72 interviews, revealed a high level of homogenisation (in regards to knowledge) among the study groups, and that many local uses of wild food plants are still actively practiced. People did not gather plants as a recreational activity but rather as a source of diet diversification. The results provide evidence of the importance of safeguarding ecological and cultural diversity due to high local community dependency on natural resources.

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Wild food plants used on the Dubrovnik coast (south-eastern Croatia)

Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae ◽

10.5586/asbp.2014.029 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 83 (3) ◽

pp. 175-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Katija Dolina ◽

Łukasz Łuczaj

Keyword(s):

Food Plant ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Foeniculum Vulgare ◽

Allium Ampeloprasum ◽

Sonchus Oleraceus ◽

Plant Use ◽

Wild Food Plant ◽

Local Traditions

Croatia’s versatile plant use traditions are still not sufficiently documented. The aim of this study was to record local traditions of wild food plant use on the Dubrovnik coast. We interviewed 40 inhabitants of 23 villages, mainly knowledgeable informants. On average 19 species were listed, which in total produced an inventory of 95 food plant species (including species whose leaves or inflorescences are used as recreational teas).The most commonly collected are: Sonchus oleraceus and S. asper, Asparagus acutifolius, Dioscorea communis, Cichorium intybus, Crepis zacintha, Allium ampeloprasum, Picris echioides and Foeniculum vulgare (all of them used as vegetables), the fruits of Rubus ulmifolius (mainly eaten raw), the fruits of roses (Rosa sempervirens and R. canina) and the leaves of Salvia officinalis (both roses and salvia are used for making recreational teas). A particular feature of the local gastronomy is the collection of young Ruscus aculeatus shoots.

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Preliminary Observations on Cotton Stainers and Internal Boll Disease of Cotton in S. Africa

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s000748530001275x ◽

1934 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 383-414 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

E. O. Pearson

Keyword(s):

Pathological Condition ◽

Toxic Substance ◽

Living Organism ◽

Early Summer ◽

Food Plant ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Experiment Station ◽

Rate Of Spread

SummaryRecords of stainer infestation in cotton have been taken at the Cotton Experiment Station, Barberton, South Africa, since 1931, and in 1933 a uniform system of recording stainer populations in cotton by sampling 10-acre blocks was extended to four farms in the Barberton district, three farms in Swaziland and the Cotton Experiment Station at Magut, Natal.The records so obtained show that stainers normally appear in plant cotton in late February or early March. D. intermedium, Dist., is present in comparatively small numbers throughout the season; D. nigrofasciatus, Stål, and D.fasciatus, Sign., are very variable in relative abundance. In 1933 the latter species was practically absent from cotton at all points save those in the vicinity of ratoon or standover cotton, but in 1931 and 1932 it appeared in numbers equal to those of D. nigrofasciatus and bred up a very much larger population in the crop.Where normal migration occurs, all three species of stainers pass through two and a partial third generation in the crop; at the end of the season part of the adults migrate from the crop and the remainder, together with the bulk of the nymphs, may be destroyed by appropriate clean-up measures.Extensive surveys of the Transvaal Low Veld and rapid tours of portions of Swaziland, Zululand and Portuguese East Africa, indicate that the principal wild food-plants of stainers in these regions comprise the genera Abutilon, Gossypium, Hibiscus and Sida in the Malvaceae, Melhania and Sterculia in the Sterculiaceae and Adansonia in the Bombaceae.The Malvaceous host plants and Melhania are all herbaceous or shrubby species and upon these D. nigrofasciatus is frequently found. It is possible that colonies of these plants existing in sheltered situations may provide overwintering grounds for this species.Two species of Sterculia are known, S. rogersii and S. murex. The former is wide-spread and abundant throughout the Low Veld and probably constitutes the main breeding-ground of all species in the early summer. The latter species is rarer, and its status as a food-plant is not yet fully investigated.The Baobab occurs in large numbers in the Northern Transvaal, but it has not yet been proved to be a winter food-plant. The latest information shows that during the summer it may commonly be infested with D. fasciatus.In conjunction with stainer population records in the crop, weekly systematic records of damage to the crop have been obtained from samples of bolls which have been examined for puncturing and graded for degree of staining. The number of punctures per boll and the percentage staining are strongly correlated, but it has proved difficult to correlate these with stainer population, except where young bolls are examined.Internal boll disease, particularly early in the season, may be due to bacterial organisms transmitted by species of Hemiptera other than stainers. Later in the season the infection of the crop is more definitely due to Nematospora spp., of which N. gossypii is commoner than N. coryli.All species of stainers collected on cotton have been found to transmit Nematospora, though they are not efficient vectors until the fourth instar is reached. Adult stainers collected on wild food-plants (Gossypium herbaceum var. africanum, Hibiscus spp., and Sterculia rogersii) have been shown to be infected with N. gossypii.The etiology of the disease produced by both species of Nematospora has been followed in inoculation experiments, using pure cultures. The rate of spread of the disease varies with the age of the boll at the time of inoculation, being slower when the boll has passed middle age. In neither species does staining extend beyond the foculus in which infection starts, nor does the fungus occur within the seed except lollowing direct puncturing of the seed.The fact that the staining is not co-extensive with the region occupied by the fungus, but goes far beyond it, and that a pathological condition indistinguishable from that due to the living organism may be produced by injecting a sterilised suspension of the fungus, suggests that the death of the lint hairs, producing staining, is due to a toxic substance liberated by the developing fungus.

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Contribution of the Wild Food Plants in the Food System of Tribal Belt of Pakistan; The Pak - Afghan Border Region

10.20944/preprints202009.0454.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shujaul Mulk Khan ◽

Abdullah Abdullah

Keyword(s):

Traditional Knowledge ◽

Fast Food ◽

Food System ◽

Cultural Practice ◽

Border Region ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Public Healthcare ◽

Wild Food Plants

The tribal belt of Pakistan-the Pak-Afghan border region is famous for its unique culture, ethnography and wild food plants and traditional knowledge. People of these regions gather wild plants for number of purposes including plants or plant parts for direct use, use it in the traditional cuisines and selling in local markets. However, there is huge lack of documentation of food system particularly the Wild Food Plants (WFPs). In current study we have focused on the uses and contributions of the WFPs in the tribal traditional food system. The ethnobotanical data were gathered through questionnaire surveys with Eighty-four informants 69 men and 15 women belonging to 21 different villages. We documented Sixty-three WFP species belonging to 34 botanical families, of which 27 were used as vegetables, 24 as fruits, 6 in different kinds of chutneys (starters) formation and six as fresh food species. Fruits were the mostly used part (40%) followed by leaves (24%), aerial parts (24%), seeds (7%), stem (3%), legume (2%) and young inflorescence (1%). Use of Carthamus oxycanthus & Pinus roxburghii seeds and Marsillea quadrifolia leaves were the novel reports for the gastronomy of Pakistan. The results elucidate that WFPs have a significant contribution in the Tribal Food Systems. Tribal people use WFPs not only due to their nutritional importance but also as a cultural practice - an inseparable component of the tribal communities. This important traditional Knowledge about the consumption of WFPs has been eroding with an alarming speed among the younger generations due to introduction of fast food chains, modernization, and globalization. Therefore, appropriates strategies are imperative not only to safeguard traditional knowledge but also the cultural heritage, food security and hence public healthcare via food supplement in the region.

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Exploitation of wild plants by the early Neolithic hunter–gatherers of the Western Desert, Egypt: Nabta Playa as a case-study

Antiquity ◽

10.1017/s0003598x00085835 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 71 (274) ◽

pp. 932-941 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Krystyna Wasylikowa ◽

Józef Mitka ◽

Fred Wendorf ◽

Romuald Schild

Keyword(s):

Wide Spectrum ◽

Western Desert ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Hunter Gatherers ◽

Agricultural Societies

The role of plants in the subsistence economy of pre-agricultural societies of the eastern Sahara is poorly known because vegetal remains, except for wood charcoal, are seldom found in archaeological sites. Site E-75-6 at Nabta Playa, with rich assemblages of charred seeds and fruits, is exceptional. Around 8000 b.p. the inhabitants of this site collected a wide spectrum of wild food plants. Wild sorghum was of special interest and its occasional cultivation cannot be excluded.

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Medicinal and wild food plants of Marmara Island (Balikesir – Turkey)

Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae ◽

10.5586/asbp.3501 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 85 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Gizem Bulut

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Food Plants ◽

Food Sources ◽

Herbal Remedies ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Ethnobotanical Study ◽

Mentha Spicata ◽

Salvia Fruticosa

Medicinal and wild food plants have always played an important role in people’s lives especially in rural areas. Similar situation can be said for islands due to the reason of them being isolated from mainland. This paper reports an ethnobotanical investigations performed in 2009 and 2014 to determine medicinal and wild food plants of Marmara Island. A total of 30 individuals were interviewed (19 men, 11 women). Totally, 22 plants are recorded as used as traditional folk medicine for the region, and nine of these are also used as a source of wild food. Furthermore, 18 taxa are wild sources of nutrition for the area. The plants most commonly used in the region as medicinal remedies were Salvia fruticosa, Hypericum perforatum, Ficus carica, and Mentha spicata. Plants are mostly used for the treatment of abdominal pain, the common cold, and haemorrhoids. The species most commonly used for food are: Salvia fruticosa, Arbutus unedo, Rhus coriaria, and Rubus sanctus. This ethnobotanical study conducted in this island will enable the traditional use of wild plants both as food sources and herbal remedies to be passed on to future generations.

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Shared but Threatened: The Heritage of Wild Food Plant Gathering among Different Linguistic and Religious Groups in the Ishkoman and Yasin Valleys, North Pakistan

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods9050601 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 601 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Muhammad Abdul Aziz ◽

Arshad Mehmood Abbasi ◽

Zahid Ullah ◽

Andrea Pieroni

Keyword(s):

Artemisia Annua ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Mountain Range ◽

Religious Groups ◽

Wild Food Plant ◽

North Pakistan ◽

Islamic Faith

A wild food ethnobotanical field study was conducted in the Ishkoman and Yasin valleys, located in the Hindukush Mountain Range of Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan. These valleys are inhabited by diverse, often marginalized, linguistic and religious groups. The field survey was conducted via one hundred and eighty semistructured interviews to record data in nine villages. Forty gathered wild food botanical and mycological taxa were recorded and identified. Comparative analysis among the different linguistic and religious groups revealed that the gathered wild food plants were homogenously used. This may be attributed to the sociocultural context of the study area, where most of the population professes the Ismaili Shia Islamic faith, and to the historical stratifications of different populations along the centuries, which may have determined complex adaptation processes and exchange of possibly distinct pre-existing food customs. A few wild plants had very rarely or never been previously reported as food resources in Pakistan, including Artemisia annua, Hedysarum falconeri, Iris hookeriana, Lepidium didymium and Saussurea lappa. Additionally, the recorded local knowledge is under threat and we analyzed possible factors that have caused this change. The recorded biocultural heritage could, however, represent a crucial driver, if properly revitalized, for assuring the food security of the local communities and also for further developing ecotourism and associated sustainable gastronomic initiatives in the area.

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Wild food plant use in 21st century Europe: the disappearance of old traditions and the search for new cuisines involving wild edibles

Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae ◽

10.5586/asbp.2012.031 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 81 (4) ◽

pp. 359-370 ◽

Cited By ~ 135

Author(s):

Łukasz Łuczaj ◽

Andrea Pieroni ◽

Javier Tardío ◽

Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana ◽

Renata Sõukand ◽

...

Keyword(s):

21St Century ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Land Access ◽

Plant Use ◽

Wild Food Plant ◽

Access Rights ◽

Over Exploitation

The aim of this review is to present an overview of changes in the contemporary use of wild food plants in Europe, mainly using the examples of our home countries: Poland, Italy, Spain, Estonia and Sweden. We set the scene referring to the nutrition of 19th century peasants, involving many famine and emergency foods. Later we discuss such issues as children's wild snacks, the association between the decline of plant knowledge and the disappearance of plant use, the effects of over-exploitation, the decrease of the availability of plants due to ecosystem changes, land access rights for foragers and intoxication dangers. We also describe the 20th and 21st century vogues in wild plant use, particularly their shift into the domain of haute-cuisine.

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