Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean Countries
Mediterranean countries represent a dynamic hub of cultural exchange, where wild plants play a significant role in culinary traditions. A substantial number of these plants belong to the Asteraceae family. The climate similarities across the region contribute to the common distribution ranges of the...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Ekaterina Kozuharova Giuseppe Antonio Malfa Rosaria Acquaviva Benito Valdés Daniela Batovska Christina Stoycheva Moh Rejdali Pasquale Marino Vivienne Spadaro |
| author_facet | Ekaterina Kozuharova Giuseppe Antonio Malfa Rosaria Acquaviva Benito Valdés Daniela Batovska Christina Stoycheva Moh Rejdali Pasquale Marino Vivienne Spadaro |
| author_sort | Ekaterina Kozuharova |
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| description | Mediterranean countries represent a dynamic hub of cultural exchange, where wild plants play a significant role in culinary traditions. A substantial number of these plants belong to the Asteraceae family. The climate similarities across the region contribute to the common distribution ranges of the plants. While many species are widely distributed, others are confined to specific subregions, such as the western Mediterranean, eastern Mediterranean, or North Africa. Only six taxa of the traditionally consumed wild Asteraceae plants are endemic to just one country. This review focuses on wild plants from the Asteraceae family traditionally used as food across 13 study sites, comprising 11 countries in the Mediterranean and adjacent territories, including both mainland areas and three islands. The objective is to identify and analyze patterns of native distribution in relation to actual consumption. As a result, 167 edible wild plants from the Asteraceae family were identified. Their patterns of distribution and consumption are described and analyzed. The highest number of these edible wild plants from the Asteraceae family is consumed in Spain (<i>n</i> = 65), followed by southern Italy (<i>n</i> = 44) and Morocco (<i>n</i> = 32). A similar pattern of consumption is seen in Turkey (<i>n</i> = 24), Sicily (<i>n</i> = 23), Jordan and Palestine (<i>n</i> = 21), and Bulgaria (<i>n</i> = 21). It is notable that 106 plants are used as food in one particular country only, although most of them are distributed in several other countries. Many of the species consumed in certain countries are not used by neighboring populations, highlighting a limited cross-border transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge. The findings from a Jaccard index statistical analysis are discussed. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-4f1521e6dff542599fee8e79f1e7bbd62025-07-11T14:41:56ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011413200610.3390/plants14132006Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean CountriesEkaterina Kozuharova0Giuseppe Antonio Malfa1Rosaria Acquaviva2Benito Valdés3Daniela Batovska4Christina Stoycheva5Moh Rejdali6Pasquale Marino7Vivienne Spadaro8Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University-Sofia, 1000 Sofia, BulgariaDepartment of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, ItalyDepartment of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, Avda. Reina Mercedes s/n, 41012 Seville, SpainInstitute of Chemical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Str., Bl. 103, 1113 Sofia, BulgariaFaculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacognosy, Medical University-Sofia, 1000 Sofia, BulgariaInstitut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hassan II Rabat Maroc, Rabat 10112, MoroccoPLANTA/Center for Research, Documentation and Training, Via Serraglio Vecchio 28, 90123 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Section of Botany, Anthropology and Zoology, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123 Palermo, ItalyMediterranean countries represent a dynamic hub of cultural exchange, where wild plants play a significant role in culinary traditions. A substantial number of these plants belong to the Asteraceae family. The climate similarities across the region contribute to the common distribution ranges of the plants. While many species are widely distributed, others are confined to specific subregions, such as the western Mediterranean, eastern Mediterranean, or North Africa. Only six taxa of the traditionally consumed wild Asteraceae plants are endemic to just one country. This review focuses on wild plants from the Asteraceae family traditionally used as food across 13 study sites, comprising 11 countries in the Mediterranean and adjacent territories, including both mainland areas and three islands. The objective is to identify and analyze patterns of native distribution in relation to actual consumption. As a result, 167 edible wild plants from the Asteraceae family were identified. Their patterns of distribution and consumption are described and analyzed. The highest number of these edible wild plants from the Asteraceae family is consumed in Spain (<i>n</i> = 65), followed by southern Italy (<i>n</i> = 44) and Morocco (<i>n</i> = 32). A similar pattern of consumption is seen in Turkey (<i>n</i> = 24), Sicily (<i>n</i> = 23), Jordan and Palestine (<i>n</i> = 21), and Bulgaria (<i>n</i> = 21). It is notable that 106 plants are used as food in one particular country only, although most of them are distributed in several other countries. Many of the species consumed in certain countries are not used by neighboring populations, highlighting a limited cross-border transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge. The findings from a Jaccard index statistical analysis are discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2006edible wild plantsCompositaeethnobotanical knowledgesimilaritydistributionJaccard index |
| spellingShingle | Ekaterina Kozuharova Giuseppe Antonio Malfa Rosaria Acquaviva Benito Valdés Daniela Batovska Christina Stoycheva Moh Rejdali Pasquale Marino Vivienne Spadaro Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean Countries Plants edible wild plants Compositae ethnobotanical knowledge similarity distribution Jaccard index |
| title | Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean Countries |
| title_full | Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean Countries |
| title_fullStr | Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean Countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean Countries |
| title_short | Wild Species from the Asteraceae Family, Traditionally Consumed in Some Mediterranean Countries |
| title_sort | wild species from the asteraceae family traditionally consumed in some mediterranean countries |
| topic | edible wild plants Compositae ethnobotanical knowledge similarity distribution Jaccard index |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/2006 |
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