Patterns of “wild” plant consumption in Oaxaca, Mexico

Although the maize‐beans‐squash complex of the Mesoamerican native diet is usually stressed, the utilization of wild greens may supply an important addition to the nutritive intake of these people, especially during times of crop failure. Field work in Abasolo, Oaxaca, Mexico has shown the number of species used, and the quantities of the individual species employed are regulated by both the natural limits of the ecosystem and the cultural prescriptions of what is edible. Cultural practices which alter the nature of the ecosystem assure that certain species will be more widely available throughout the year.