Wild food plants used in the villages of the Lake Vrana Nature Park ( northern Dalmatia , Croatia )

In some countries of Europe, e.g. Spain, Italy, Poland and Estonia, intense research on the documentation of traditionally used wild food plants has been carried out over the last few years [1–12]. In some other countries, reviews of older ethnographic literature concerning this issue have been published, e.g. Slovakia, Hungary and Sweden [13–15]. The countries of the former Yugoslavia, in spite of their great biocultural diversity have produced relatively few ethnobotanical studies concerning wild food plants. Here we should mention the articles on wild food plants used in Bosnia-Herzegovina published by the late Sulejman Redžić [16,17]. Also, earlier, in 1976–1979, Bakić and Popović interviewed 5000 households on the Yugoslavian coast, all the way from Istria to the present Montenegrin-Albanian border [18]. (With the exception of a small section now belonging to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, the coast constitutes a part of Croatia). The authors asked which of the local land and aquatic plants and animals were eaten during World War II. Unfortunately only data for the most commonly used taxa are published. Bakić and Popović report the use of 120 species of vascular plants. Out of them 38 were used by more than 30% of households. Interesting observations on the plants eaten along the Adriatic coast of Croatia and sold in its local markets can also be found in the edible plant guides of Ljubiša Grlić (e.g. [19,20]). Valuable information on the wild herbs eaten on the island of Korčula is presented in a conference paper by Sardelić [21]. Scattered information on edible wild greens can also be found in Šugar’s (2008) dictionary of Croatian plant names [22]. Ćurčić’s report on the wild food plant use of Herzegovinian fishermen on the border of Dalmatia is a valuable and interesting source from as early as 1913 [23]. Last but not least, many interesting pieces of information were gathered in the recent study of wild vegetables sold in Dalmatian markets by the first author of this article and his colleagues [24]. It must be stressed that none of the above mentioned studies is a case study where a small rural area is researched Abstract

The countries of the former Yugoslavia, in spite of their great biocultural diversity have produced relatively few ethnobotanical studies concerning wild food plants.Here we should mention the articles on wild food plants used in Bosnia-Herzegovina published by the late Sulejman Redžić [16,17].Also, earlier, in 1976-1979, Bakić and Popović interviewed 5000 households on the Yugoslavian coast, all the way from Istria to the present Montenegrin-Albanian border [18].(With the exception of a small section now belonging to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro, the coast constitutes a part of Croatia).The authors asked which of the local land and aquatic plants and animals were eaten during World War II.Unfortunately only data for the most commonly used taxa are published.Bakić and Popović report the use of 120 species of vascular plants.Out of them 38 were used by more than 30% of households.Interesting observations on the plants eaten along the Adriatic coast of Croatia and sold in its local markets can also be found in the edible plant guides of Ljubiša Grlić (e.g.[19,20]).Valuable information on the wild herbs eaten on the island of Korčula is presented in a conference paper by Sardelić [21].Scattered information on edible wild greens can also be found in Šugar's (2008) dictionary of Croatian plant names [22].Ćurčić's report on the wild food plant use of Herzegovinian fishermen on the border of Dalmatia is a valuable and interesting source from as early as 1913 [23].Last but not least, many interesting pieces of information were gathered in the recent study of wild vegetables sold in Dalmatian markets by the first author of this article and his colleagues [24].
It must be stressed that none of the above mentioned studies is a case study where a small rural area is researched As most interviews were performed outdoors and most wild food grows in the vicinity of farms the participants usually eagerly showed the collected plants and helped us collect the voucher specimens.In the case of some rarely listed wild plants we showed them to other inhabitants in order to establish their opinion of their edibility (some plants, although rarely listed are widely known as edible in the area, e.g.Celtis australis, Lactuca serriola, Tragopogon etc.) Voucher specimens were collected and deposited in the herbarium of the Faculty of Biology of Warsaw University (WA).
Wild vegetables are still widely used in the Lake Vrana area.These are usually weeds growing in old fields, on roadsides and in hedgerows.They are mainly collected in spring (March-April).We often encountered shepherds who, in their spare time, filled the pockets of their aprons with wild plants, which were later brought home, sorted and used (Fig. 4, Fig. 5).Although the wild vegetables, apart from the few most common ones, like fennel or asparagus, are less popular among young people, many middle-aged people (40-50 years old) still collect them and have wide knowledge of them.
Most wild vegetables are boiled in a mix, which is called "svakober", which translates as "pick all".They are boiled for 20-30 min., strained and sprinkled with olive oil, then served as a side dish.They are often eaten with preserved ham ("pršut") or potatoes.Asparagus shoots are boiled separately and served in the same way.Some Asteraceae species are also eaten raw or blanched, and dressed in olive oil (Cichorium, Taraxacum etc.).
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is used both as a vegetable and a spice, added to svakober, and other dishes.It is often added to boiled broad beans (Vicia faba), which is one of the traditional local specialities.
Wild fruits are now rarely collected, apart from snacking on blackberries or collecting Rosa fruits for tea.In the past (up until the 1960s) they were widely collected by undernourished children, and made into jams ("pekmez") or added to homemade fruit brandy ("rakija").Now this is only occasionally done.
Wild mushrooms are little known and little collected.There is only one forest in the area (a few dozen ha of oak wood) and some people, rarely, collect Boletus there.The only two more frequently collected mushroom taxa are Agaricus and Macrolepiota procera, both gathered from open pastures.

Discussion
The presented list of wild foods is also typical for other Mediterranean areas.Most of the wild vegetables and fruits collected in the Vrana area are also widely used in Spain and Italy.This confirms our hypothesis that as far as the collection of wild food is concerned, the area forms part of a Mediterranean cultural  Tab. 2 Plants mainly used as medicine, but mentioned in our questionnaire as a source of everyday infusions ("recreational" tea).
On the other hand worthy of attention is the use of Myagrum perfoliatum (Brassicaceae) and Torilis nodosa (Apiaceae), species whose consumption had not been previously reported by any ethnobotanical studies.Only a related species from the genus Torilis, i.e.Torilis arvensis (Huds.)Link subsp.arvensis, is used as a spice in Crete [32].The list of recorded wild greens is long on a European scale, but shorter than the number of wild greens used in some parts of Asia (e.g.[33,34]).The frequency of quoting wild vegetable use in this study is similar to the frequency of wild vegetables sold in the whole of Dalmatia as recorded in research in local markets [24] and as recorded by Bakić and Popović over 30 years ago (Tab.3) [18].For more than half of the more common taxa there were no significant differences in frequency.Only Rumex pulcher is a special case, very rarely sold in the markets but commonly eaten in the area.This similarity of data from the markets and from local study confirms the great usefulness of market surveys.Market surveys allow for quick and easy data gathering and they also enable confirmation of which species are actually used on a larger scale [35][36][37][38].The two main disadvantages of market surveys are the danger of recording plants sold for outsiders, e.g.town inhabitants or tourists, which may be very different from the plants eaten in the countryside, and the omission of plants, which may not be sold but are used.In the case of Dalmatia, however, we see a large similarity in the locally eaten mix and the mixes sold in the Dalmatian markets.
Out of the 36 wild food plant taxa listed by Bakić and Popović [18] as the most frequently used on the ex-Yugoslav coast, as many as 29 species (or their close relatives from the same genus) are used or remembered in the Vrana area.
As the study area is located several kilometres from the coast, no typical seashore edibles, like Salicornia salina and Plantago coronopus, eaten in some parts of Dalmatia, were recorded in this study.
The accidentally recorded plants used for everyday infusions in the Vrana area are species widely used around the Mediterranean or in other Slavic countries (e.g.[39]).This is probably only a small proportion of the medicinal plants known in the area.The erosion of local plant knowledge in the Vrana area seems to be much smaller than on other parts of the Croatian coast, for instance on the more developed Istria [40] or around Dubrovnik (personal observations).
This study clearly confirms that this part of Dalmatia is clearly one the very few parts of herbophilous Slavic territories where the use of wild greens is still common.In northern Slavic countries [6][7][8][9][10]14,41,42] as well as northern Croatia (authors' personal observations) wild greens are either no longer used at all, or only one or a few species are known and utilized, although up to the 19th century, their use had been more widespread [43].On the other hand, in the predominantly woodless Dalmatia, mushrooms are little utilized compared to central and northern Croatia and other Slavic countries (e.g.[44]).Research is needed in other parts of Croatia and neighbouring countries to broaden our knowledge of plant use patterns.Tab. 3 Comparison of frequency of wild vegetables used in salad mixes (not separately, like Asparagus, Tamus and Cichorium) in questionnaires from the Vrana area and from market surveys in the whole of Dalmatia [24].

Fig. 5
Fig. 5 Collecting wild vegetables is often an additional activity when looking after herds of sheep -the plants are put in the pockets of an apron.
Wild food plants and mushrooms used in the area, in order of decreasing frequency.
Łuczaj et al. / Wild food plants in Vrana