Laura Aceituno-Mata

Wild edible plants traditionally gathered in Gorbeialdea (Biscay, Basque Country)

This ethnobotanical study aims to describe the domain of wild edible plants in Gorbeialdea (Biscay, Iberian Peninsula), and to assess the cultural importance of the different species and food categories. Field work was conducted between 2008 and 2010, interviewing 103 informants about the traditional use of wild plants for food. The edible use of 49 species was recorded, 45% of them gathered for their fruits. The most important species coincide with those registered in other regions in the north of the Iberian Peninsula (Prunus spinosa, Rubus ulmifolius, Castanea sativa, Fragaria vesca, Rumex acetosa, Vaccinium myrtillus and Arbutus unedo). However, the importance of some species and uses that had not been previously recorded as edible in the ethnobotanical literature of the Iberian Peninsula, highlights the singularity of the area. The consumption of the leaves of Fagus sylvatica, the seeds of Pinus radiata, and the shoots of Pteridium aquilinum are some examples of specific uses. The eating of the fruits of Quercus robur, and Q. ilex was common until some decades ago and is still remembered by the informants. However, the consumption of those fruits has now a social stigma, and as shown in this paper, it can be overlooked by a methodology only based on open interviews. The most important use-category was ‘fruits’, following the trend found in other northern regions of the Iberian and Italian Peninsulas. ‘Snack vegetables’ is also a relevant category, including 35% of the cited species, with a high diversity of chewed plants, mainly as hunger or thirst quenchers. On the contrary, there was a low valorization of condiments and elaborated vegetables.

Gendered Homegardens: A Study in Three Mountain Areas of the Iberian Peninsula

Gendered Homegardens: A Study in Three Mountain Areas of the Iberian Peninsula. As an example of the importance of gender relations in the use of natural resources, several authors have analyzed the role of women in homegardens. Gendered differences in homegarden management have been difficult to disentangle due to the often–shared nature of gardening. Here, we use an innovative approach to analyze gendered differences in the characteristics and management of homegardens. Specifically, we use information on the prevalence of different household members in gardening activities to classify homegardens as women’s, men’s, or shared. Then, we compare several garden characteristics across the three types of homegardens. For the case study, we use data from homegardens in three rural areas of the Iberian Peninsula. We found that household members generally share homegarden responsibilities in these three regions and that many homegarden characteristics vary with the distribution of gardening tasks. Specifically, we discovered that gardens managed mainly by men were larger, more distant from the dwelling, and better exposed than gardens managed by women. Men and women also used different management techniques; organic fertilizers and traditional pest control management systems predominated in gardens managed by women. Men and women also differed in how they reportedly use garden products, with women favoring household consumption versus sale or gifting. Last, gardens managed mainly by women had a larger diversity of uses for species and a larger diversity of species per unit area. Cultural norms of what is considered appropriate behavior for men and women help explain differences in garden characteristics and their plant composition and structure.ResumenHuertos y género: Un estudio en tres regiones de montaña de la Península Ibérica. En un intento de entender la importancia de las relaciones de género en el uso de los recursos naturales, varios autores han analizado el papel de las mujeres en los huertos domésticos. Debido a que muchos huertos son gestionados por varios miembros del hogar, es difícil identificar las diferencias de género en el manejo de los huertos. En este artículo utilizamos un enfoque innovador para analizar diferencias de género en las características y manejo de los huertos. Específicamente, utilizamos información sobre el predominio de diferentes miembros del hogar en el cuidado del huerto para clasificar los huertos como de hombres, de mujeres, o compartidos. Luego comparamos las características de estos tres tipos de huertos. El estudio fue realizado en tres zonas rurales de montaña de la Península Ibérica. Hallamos que las responsabilidades del manejo de los huertos son a menudo compartidas y que muchas características de los huertos varían según la distribución de las tareas. Los huertos manejados por hombres principalmente son más grandes, más alejados de la casa, y tienen una mejor exposición que los manejados por mujeres. El género también influye en el predominio de técnicas de manejo; la fertilización orgánica y los métodos tradicionales de control de plagas predominan en los huertos de mujeres. También hallamos diferencias en el destino de los productos del huerto: las mujeres favorecen el consumo en el hogar en vez de la venta o el regalo. Por último, los huertos manejados principalmente por mujeres tienen una mayor diversidad de usos de especies y una mayor diversidad de especies por unidad de área. Las normas culturales que determinan el comportamiento culturalmente correcto para hombres y mujeres ayudan a explicar las diferencias en las características, la composición, y la estructura de los huertos caseros.

Plants used for making recreational tea in Europe: a review based on specific research sites

This paper is a review of local plants used in water infusions as aromatic and refreshing hot beverages (recreational tea) consumed in food-related settings in Europe, and not for specific medicinal purposes. The reviewed 29 areas are located across Europe, covering the post-Soviet countries, eastern and Mediterranean Europe. Altogether, 142 taxa belonging to 99 genera and 40 families were reported. The most important families for making herbal tea in all research areas were Lamiaceae and Asteraceae, while Rosaceae was popular only in eastern and central Europe. With regards to botanical genera, the dominant taxa included Mentha, Tilia, Thymus, Origanum, Rubus and Matricaria. The clear favorite was Origanum vulgare L., mentioned in 61% of the regions. Regionally, other important taxa included Rubus idaeus L. in eastern Europe, Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All. in southern Europe and Rosa canina L. in central Europe. Future research on the pharmacological, nutritional and chemical properties of the plants most frequently used in the tea-making process is essential to ensure their safety and appropriateness for daily consumption. Moreover, regional studies dedicated to the study of local plants used for making recreational tea are important to improve our understanding of their selection criteria, cultural importance and perceived properties in Europe and abroad.

The importance of cultural factors in the distribution of medicinal plant knowledge: a case study in four Basque regions.

ETHNOBOTANICAL RELEVANCE Previous research suggests that the use of medicinal plants by a given group is mainly driven by biological variables such as the chemical composition or the ecological distribution of plants. However, other studies highlight the importance of cultural aspects such as the curative meaning given to a plant, beliefs, religion or the historical context. Such aspects could play an important role in the use, diffusion or even in the effectiveness of a plant remedy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fieldwork consisted of 233 orally consented semi-structured interviews with 178 informants about medicinal uses of plants. Interviews were conducted in four historically and geographycally delimited regions of Alava and Biscay with similar environmental conditions but different sociolinguistic backgrounds: two regions were Basque- and two Spanish-speaking. Data were structured in use-reports. A Between Class Analysis was conducted to assess the intercultural and intracultural variability of medicinal plants knowledge. RESULTS The results show the existence of four clearly different medicinal ethnofloras. While the four ethnofloras share remedies widely distributed through the territory, each of them also includes remedies that are only shared among closely related communities. The ecological availability and chemical composition of the plants may explain why there are widely used plant remedies. On the contrary, the distribution of the locally shared remedies matches up with the cultural heterogeneity of the territory, so cultural factors, such as, language, social networks or the meaning response of the plants seem to explain the use of many traditional plant remedies. In Addition, we also found that Basque speaking territories show higher knowledge levels than Spanish speaking territories. In this sense, the development and reinforcement of Basque identity by Basque nationalism seems to have contributed to maintain the traditional knowledge in the Basque speaking regions. CONCLUSIONS Despite the fact that pharmacological effectiveness and ecological availability are usually considered as the main variables that shape the traditional use of medicinal plants, our results suggest that cultural factors can be at least as important as ecological and chemical factors. In fact, differences in language, in the cultural meaning of the plants, in the context related to cultural identities, and in social networks seem to play a fundamental role in the use and diffusion and maintenance or erosion of traditional knowledge about medicinal plants in the study area.

Tertius gaudens: germplasm exchange networks and agroecological knowledge among home gardeners in the Iberian Peninsula

BackgroundThe idea that knowledge flows through social networks is implicit in research on traditional knowledge, but researchers have paid scant attention to the role of social networks in shaping its distribution. We bridge those two bodies of research and investigate a) the structure of network of exchange of plant propagation material (germplasm) and b) the relation between a person’s centrality in such network and his/her agroecological knowledge.MethodsWe study 10 networks of germplasm exchange (n = 363) in mountain regions of the Iberian Peninsula. Data were collected through participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and a survey.ResultsThe networks display some structural characteristics (i.e., decentralization, presence of external actors) that could enhance the flow of knowledge and germplasm but also some characteristics that do not favor such flow (i.e., low density and fragmentation). We also find that a measure that captures the number of contacts of an individual in the germplasm exchange network is associated with the person’s agroecological knowledge.ConclusionOur findings highlight the importance of social relations in the construction of traditional knowledge.

WEEDS AND FOOD DIVERSITY: NATURAL YIELD ASSESSMENT AND FUTURE ALTERNATIVES FOR TRADITIONALLY CONSUMED WILD VEGETABLES

Abstract Wild edible plants, and particularly weeds, continue to be an important dietary component of many people around the world. We study the availability and yield of 15 weedy vegetables traditionally consumed in the Mediterranean region to assess their potential sustainable exploitation. Fieldwork was conducted in Central Spain during 2007–2009. Yields ranged between 10–460 g per plant in non-clonal species and between 400–5,000 g m−2 in clonal species. According to local plant density estimates, a total of 1800 kg ha−1 for Foeniculum vulgare, 700–1000 kg ha−1 for Beta maritima, Rumex pulcher, Papaver rhoeas and Silybum marianum, and 80–400 kg ha−1 for the remaining species could be obtained, except for Scolymus hispanicus that only yielded 30 kg ha−1. Exploitation of those species should consider local yields and preferences to achieve sustainability. We propose: 1) organic cultivation for highly valued species with low production rates in the wild (e.g., Scolymus hispanicus and Silene vulgaris); 2)...

Grandparents' Proximity and Children's Traditional Medicinal Plant Knowledge: Insights from Two Schools in Intermediate-Rural Spain

Abstract. In the last decade, researchers have reported the erosion of Traditional Medicinal Plant Knowledge (TMPK), including declines in the knowledge about which plant species are medicines and in the practical skills for using these species. Among the various drivers explaining TMPK loss, the processes governing knowledge acquisition and transmission are not clearly understood. In this study we explore whether grandparent-grandchild proximity relates to childs knowledge, namely through oblique knowledge transmission. Based on the assumption that elders are a repository of TMPK, we hypothesized that childrens physical and affective proximity to their grandparents might favor the transmission of TMPK and, therefore, be associated to higher childs TMPK. We test this hypothesis using data from children attending two schools in intermediate-rural towns Guadalix de la Sierra and Figueres, Spain. Contrary to our expectations, neither physical nor affective proximity to grandparents was significantly related to childrens TMPK. We provide methodological (i.e., omitted variable bias) and theoretical (i.e., intergenerational knowledge transmission is weak or null in the study area) arguments that might explain our results. We conclude by highlighting the need to create initiatives for intergenerational dialogue that foster traditional knowledge transmission.