Ethnobotanical Uses of Brassicaceae in Sicily

The Brassicaceae are widely represented in Sicily: some of them have an ethnobotanical interest. In this frame, through interviews to representatives of small rural communities, we aimed to carry out an ethnobotanical survey on wild Brassica species in order to identify their traditional uses and compare the overall data with ethnobotanical literature about Sicily. The results showed that in the island sixty-four species, often linked only to dialect names, are used mainly for food. For example, the bitter back-taste given by some species (Brassica fruticulosa Cyr., B. nigra (L.) Koch, Bunias erucago L., Diplotaxis erucoides DC., D. tenuifolia (L.) DC., Nasturtium officinale (R.) Br., Raphanus raphanistrum L., Sinapis alba L., S. arvensis L., etc.) typifies many traditional dishes. Some others (Brassica rupestris Raf., B. oleracea L., Nasturtium officinale L., Raphanus raphanistrum L.) are used in popular medicine. Characteristic is the use of Matthiola incana L. in folklore manifestations during St. Joseph Day, when flowers are used to decorate horses and cover the unpleasant smell.