Diversity and selection of wild food plants in six regions of Northwestern Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal)

Abstract

[EN] This paper compares the traditional knowledge and use of wild edible plants in six rural regions of the Northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Five of them are in Spain: Campoo, Picos de Europa, Piloña, Sanabria and Caurel and the sixth is in Portugal, Parque Natural de Montesinho. Through semi-structured interviews with local informants, data on the use of 97 species were collected. A semi-quantitative approach was used to document the relative importance of each species and to indicate differences in the selection criteria for consuming wild food species in the regions studied. Social, economic and cultural factors need to be taken into account when trying to understand why some wild edible plants have been consumed while others have not. The data indicate that a high percentage of species are used in most regions (17 species are used in 5 or 6 regions). These shared species include many wild fruit plants (e.g. Rubus ulmifolius Schott, Fragaria vesca L.) and the most popular species of each category of use [e.g. vegetables such as Rumex acetosa L., condiments such as Origanum vulgare L., or plants used to prepare herbal teas such as Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.].