Wild food plants used by the Tibetans of Gongba Valley (Zhouqu county, Gansu, China)

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine

Quanping Guo¹  Jiaojiao Hou³  Fu Wang³  Jin Kang³  Łukasz Łuczaj²  Yongxiang Kang³ 

[1] Forestry Academy of Bailongjiang Forestry Administration Bureau, 746010 Liangshui, Gansu, PR China;Department of Botany and Biotechnology of Economic Plants, Institute of Applied Biotechnology and Basic Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Werynia 502, 36-100 Kolbuszowa, Poland;College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, 712100 Yangling, Shaanxi, PR China

关键词: Lacto-fermented;    Lactic fermentation;    Caltha palustris;    Ethnomycology;    Ethnobotany;    Brugchu;    Wild edible plants;   

Others  :  861707
DOI  :  10.1186/1746-4269-10-20

 received in 2013-12-23, accepted in 2014-01-27,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

The ethnobotany of Tibetans is a seriously under-studied topic. The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge and use of wild food plants in a valley inhabited by Tibetans in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Region.

Methods

The field research was carried out in a wooded mountain valley in 9 neighbouring villages the Zhouqu (Brugchu) county, and comprised 17 interviews with single informants and 14 group interviews, involving 122 people altogether.

Results

We recorded the use of 81 species of vascular plants from 41 families. Fruits formed the largest category, with 42 species, larger than the wild greens category, with 36 species. We also recorded the culinary use of 5 species of edible flowers, 7 species with underground edible organs and 5 taxa of fungi. On average, 16.2 edible taxa were listed per interview (median – 16). Green vegetables formed the largest category of wild foods (mean – 8.7 species, median – 9 species), but fruits were listed nearly as frequently (mean – 6.9, median – 6). Other categories were rarely mentioned: flowers (mean – 0.2, median – 0), underground edible parts (mean – 0.3, median – 0) and mushrooms (mean – 1.5, – median 1).

Wild vegetables are usually boiled and/or fried and served as side-dishes (cai). They are often lacto-fermented. Wild fruits are mainly collected by children and eaten raw, they are not stored for further use. The most widely used wild vegetables are: Eleuterococcus spp., Pteridium aquilinum, Helwingia japonica, Aralia chinensis, Allium victorialis, Pteridium aquilinum, Ixerischinensis, Thlaspi arvense and Chenopodium album. The culinary use of Caltha palustris as a green vegetable is very interesting. In its raw state, marsh marigold is a toxic plant, due to the presence of protoanemonin. In this area it is dried or lactofermented before use. The most commonly eaten fruits are: Pyrus xerophila, Prunus salicina, Berchemia sinica, Rubus spp. and Eleagnus umbellata.

Conclusions

The number of wild taxa eaten in the studied valley is relatively large compared to most studies from around the world. However, compared to the northern slope of the Qinling, in Shaanxi, the list is considerably shorter, in spite of the similar methodology applied and similar research effort involved.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Kang et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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