Wild plants of organoleptic or nutritional interest and food traditions in central Italy: some interesting cases

Thirteen wild plants and their food uses in the folk traditions of some regions of central Italy are described. These uses that can be exploited for human nourishment were collected during field research (1977–2003). Some wild food plants quoted are not very well known. The herbs have been selected for their peculiar organoleptic characteristics ( Taraxacum apenninum , T. glaciale , Crepis leontodontoides ), for their nutritional interest ( Bunium bulbocastanum , Sinapis alba , Sonchus oleraceus , Taraxacum apenninum , T. glaciale ) and the possibility of their cultivation in marginal areas (see Chenopodium bonus-henricus , Podospermum canum , P. laciniatum and some of the quoted species).