
Wild edible plants as a source of mineral elements in the daily diet
What are ‘wild edible plants’? According to Kalle and Sõucand this term could refer to edible plants growing without intentional cultivation by people. Nevertheless, an important and often controversial point is the distinction between ‘wild’ and ‘domesticated’ plants, since there could be many intermediate stages between the use of wild plants and true domestication. Indeed, many wild species can occasionally be grown and some cultivated plants, that are not completely domesticated, sometimes grow like wild vegetables. Moreover, Elia and Santamaria defined ‘edible spontaneous plants’ including… «some progenitors of cultivated vegetables with which there is a continuum in the genetic profile». In the context of this note, the term ‘wild edible plants’ (WEP) indicate just the vegetables which grow spontaneous without any external input and/or human action. Therefore, WEP may be considered exclusively as the result of the interaction between vegetable biodiversity, ecosystem and natural resources.
by Massimiliano Renna
Progr Nutr 2017; Vol. 19, N. 2: 219-222 DOI: 10.23751/pn.v19i2.5662