Traditional uses of wild edible plants in the Republic of North Macedonia
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[1] SS. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Food
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[2] SS. Cyril and Methodius University, Institute of Agriculture
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- Localización: Phytologia Balcanica: International Journal of Balkan Flora and Vegetation, ISSN 1310-7771, Vol. 26, Nº. 1, 2020, págs. 155-162
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
The flora of Republic of North Macedonia provides diverse and useful edible species. Wild edible plants are a valuable source of nutrients. This research was conducted from September 2018 to March 2019, in order to obtain information about the traditional uses of wild edible plants in the Republic of North Macedonia. Data were collected by interviewing 154 informants from the Republic of North Macedonia, using structurally designed questionnaires. Of all respondents, 71% were women and 29% were men. For each described plant species, the botanical family, local folk names, edible parts, and culinary use were recorded, and the relative frequency of citation index (RFC) was determined. The interviewed informants cited 39 wild edible plants belonging to 21 different botanical families. Most of the wild edible plant species belonged to Rosaceae (10) and Lamiaceae (5). The species with the highest relative frequency of citation index was Fragaria vesca L. (0.422), followed by Mentha longifolia (L.) Hunds. (0.363). Most wild edible plants were trees (41%).
The plant parts preferably used were fruits (36%), leaves (30%) and flowers (15%). The plants most often were consumed cooked, in herbal infusions and raw. The present study provides basic information on the traditional uses of wild edible plants in the Republic of North Macedonia. The research also suggests that further ethnobotanical studies should be conducted, in order to preserve the traditional knowledge associated with the wild edible plants for future generations.
