Many studies have been conducted on thyme species to identify their chemical composition. Figure 1 represents a botanical sketch of thyme. Finally, thyme can be propagated from seeds, cuttings or by layering. ![]() vulgaris is most affected by root rot disease. It has no invasive potential and can live for a maximum of 25 years. It does not need a lot of water but requires full sunlight. vulgaris grows in groups on calcareous rocks. It lives in loamy and sandy soils, having a neutral and alkaline pH. It can tolerate frost and drought and poor, salty environments. It takes 2 to 5 years to reach its maximum height. At maturity, it reaches 0.5 to 1 m in height and spreads over 0.5 to 1 m and sometimes 15 m on the ground as a green cover. ![]() Their blooming occurs during spring and summer. The flowers are of a cyme type, purple and white in color, bisexual and two-lipped with a hairy glandular calyx giving a pleasant scent. They mainly constitute the edible part for humans. They have an ovate shape, fine texture and a pleasant scent. ![]() The leaves are arranged as whorls around the stem, evergreen and simple. vulgaris is a perennial, evergreen subshrub with a generally upright, woody-based stem. The results showed that 124 plant species are still used by local communities in traditional medicine as a beneficial source for the treatment of different illnesses. As such, 53 native informants in 13 towns and villages surrounding Mount Hermon were asked about wild plants they use. A study was done in Lebanon by conducting semi-structured interviews in which ethno-pharmacological information was collected. Most well-known cooking methods of such plants are simply fried with onions or used in omelet preparations. In addition, several types of these plants are used in fresh salads. In Lebanon, WEPs are estimated at about 2600 species (12% of total species in the Mediterranean region) and are mainly consumed within rural areas for their health and medicinal qualities, either raw without any preliminary preparation, or as snacks, providing important sources of nutrients absent in modern high-fat, high-sugar snacks. The diversity of species in this region can rely on the ecological conditions, such as the convenient climate and the soil type. Specifically, in the Mediterranean region, there are an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 species of WEPs, many of which are endemic to the region. ![]() In addition, many use them as spices and for commercial purposes. For example, a study was done in the city of Bingol in Turkey and showed that most of the consumers in this area eat these plants in their raw form others use the flowers and branches for preparing herbal tea. In Africa, Latin America, and the subcontinent of India, many WEPs are cultivated and consumed. In North America, natives consume many WEPs daily they constitute a good example of the ethnographical use of these natural sources. China is characterized by having the oldest and biggest original centers for vegetables in the world, estimated to be around 213 families, 815 genera and 1822 species of plants. Among these 100, less than 20 species are used in food preparation. According to a recent estimate, more than 8000 plant species are distributed all over the world, from these only 100 provide the majority of the world’s food. Therefore, the trend towards implanting WEPs in food dishes and recipes nowadays, seems to have increased and become more popular than few years ago. Moreover, WEPs have been demonstrated to have an important role in providing plenty of nutritional requirements that are important for improving health, thereby contributing to reduce food insecurity and scarcity, famine, or conflict. In fact, as summarized by Shumsky and Colleagues, WEPs are characterized by being locally available and known traditionally through generations, less expensive, having high advantages for poor populations, available during stressful conditions such as drought or famine periods and finally, being able to resist climate change. Wild edible plants (WEPs) as defined by the food and agricultural organization (FAO) are “the plants that grow spontaneously in self -maintaining populations in natural or semi-natural ecosystems and can exit independently of direct human actions”.
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