Wild Edible Plants of the Bodrum Area (Muğla, Turkey)

Authors : Füsun Ertuğ

Pages : 161-174

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Publication Date : 9999-12-31

Article Type : Makaleler

Abstract :The town of Bodrum is situated on a peninsula in south-western Turkey in the province of Muğla. The research project on the Useful Plants of the Bodrum Area has been collecting data since October 1999 on the traditional uses of plants for food, medicine, fodder, fuel, handicrafts and other purposes. The information was collected over a two-and-a-half-year period from informants of various ages and background categories in Bodrum and the surrounding villages, with the help of about 25 volunteers. In addition to the informant-based research, year-round surveys of weekly markets in Bodrum, Milas and Muğla have been carried out to check the availability of the locally known edibles in these markets. Over 770 plant samples were collected and about 400 species identified. The information on each species is entered into a database. The highest percentage of useful plants was of natural or so-called "wild" edibles. A total of 179 species (143 natural and 36 cultivar and introduced) are recorded in the food and beverage category. Some edible plants are no longer collected by local people, some others are known only by certain villagers, and some species are under the threat of over collection.
Keywords : Ethnobotany, wild edibles, Bodrum (Halicarnassos), Muğla, C1 square, Turkey