AlimurgITA: A Database of the Italian Alimurgic Flora
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Data Description and Use of the Database
2.1. The Taxon Page
- Current scientific plant name according to the Portale della Flora d’Italia–Portal to the flora of Italy 2024.2 [22].
- Link to the taxon page on the site Acta Plantarum [21].
- “Famiglia” (Family) according to the Portale della Flora d’Italia–Portal to the flora of Italy 2024.2 [22].
- “Bartolucci et al. (2018)” (scientific plant name according to Bartolucci et al. [23]).
- “Pignatti et al. (2017–2019)” (scientific plant name present in the most recent edition of Flora of Italy [24]).
- “Pignatti (1982)” (scientific plant name found in the first Flora of Italy by Pignatti [27]);
- “Altri sinonimi” (other scientific plant names synonyms).
- “Corotipo” (chorotype from Pignatti et al. [24]).
- “Forma biologica” (life form sensu Raunkiaer, from Pignatti et al. [24]).
- “Uso regionale” (map of the Italian administrative regions for which at least an edible use of the entity has been recorded).
- “Parte di pianta utilizzata” (part used; for a list and description of the categories used, see Paura et al. [30]).
- “Modalità di utilizzo” (method of use, for a list and description of the categories used, see Paura et al. [30]).
- “Uso alimentare” (description of use, not always available).
- “Bibliografia” (list of bibliographic references related to the entity among the 331 texts used to collect information for building the AlimurgITA database).
2.2. AlimurgITA Home Page
- A brief description of the website in Italian and English.
- Six buttons corresponding to the possibilities of searching information by “Specie alimurgiche” (taxa), ”Famiglia” (Family), “Corotipo” (Chorotype), “Forma biologica” (Life Form), “Modalità di utilizzo” (Methods of use), and “Parte di pianta utilizzata” (Part used), each button showing the total number of corresponding records: 1116 taxa, 110 Families, 11 Chorotypes, 8 Life forms, 14 Methods of use, and 14 Part used (see Figure 4).
- Twenty-four buttons for alphabetically searching the entities recorded (see Figure 5, which provides an example of the letter B).
2.3. Browsing by Alphabetic Filters
2.4. Browsing by Semantic Filters
2.5. Statistical Results
3. Methods
- Monographs of authoritative or famous authors;
- Works published in international and national journals with refereeing;
- Very few cases of personal communications.
4. Discussion
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| WEP | Wild Edible Plant |
| WEPs | Wild Edible Plants |
References
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| Database | Lang. | Scale | TR | NT | Search | Inf. | Ref./L | WEPs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlimurgITA https://www.alimurgita.it/index.php (accessed on 3 October 2025) | It | Nat. | 2025/ | 1116 | Search by species names on the main list page, alphabetical order of taxa, default search on five database fields: Family, Chorotype, Life form, Type of use, Part used | Sci., Syn., F, Com., U, P, M | Yes/ Y | Yes |
| Native American Ethnobotany DB http://naeb.brit.org/ (accessed on 20 November 2025) | En | Cont. | Late 1990s/2003 | 44,691 | Text search and filtered search (text string plus “Tribe” and “Use category”) on the entire website | Sci., F, Com., U | Yes/ N | No |
| Foraging: what to look out for each month https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/things-to-do/foraging/ (accessed on 20 November 2025) | En | Nat | 2017/2025 | n.a. | Text search on the entire website | Com., U, P | No/ N | No |
| Edible Wild Food https://www.ediblewildfood.com/ (accessed on 20 November 2025) | En | Cont. | 2011/2021 | n.a. | Text search on the entire website | Com., U, P | No/ N | Yes |
| Génial Végétal https://www.genialvegetal.net/ (accessed on 20 November 2025) | Fr | Nat | 2014/2025 | >1500 | Text search on the entire website, alphabetical order of taxa, default search on 16 database fields (from growth form to harvest period) | Sci., Syn., Com., F, U, P | No/ N | No |
| Cuisine sauvage https://cuisinesauvage.org/les-plantes/voir/ (accessed on 20 November 2025) | Fr | Nat | 2015/2025 | n.a. | Search by species names on the main list page | Sci., Com., F, U, P | No/ Y | Yes |
| Phytoalimurgia Piante selvatiche commestibili https://phytoalimurgia.it/ (accessed on 20 November 2025) | It, En | Nat. | 2015/ 2025 | n.a. | Search by species names on the main page | Sci., Com., U, C | No/ N | Yes |
| Food Plants International https://foodplantsinternational.com/ (accessed on 20 November 2025) | En | World | 2014/2025 | 35,103 | Text search on the entire database, alphabetical order of taxa, default search on four database fields (plant type, distribution, region, country) | Sci., Com., F, U, P | Yes/ N | No * |
| Plants for A Future http://www.pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx (accessed on 20 November 2025) | En | World | 2010/2025 | >8000 | Search by plant name and by 30 uses and properties on the main page | Sci., Syn. Com., F, U, P, C | Yes/ N | No |
| Corotipo (Chorotype) | Number of Entities (%) |
|---|---|
| Eurasiatiche (Eurasiatic) | 352 (31.5) |
| Eurimediterranee (Euri-Mediterranean) | 204 (18.3) |
| Stenomediterranee (Steno-Mediterranean) | 181 (16.2) |
| Boreali (Boreal) | 90 (8.1) |
| Ampia distribuzione (Wide distribution) | 70 (6.3) |
| Endemiche (Endemic) | 66 (5.9) |
| Orofile S-Europee (Orophyte S-European) | 51 (4.6) |
| Avventizie (Adventitia) | 37 (3.3) |
| Mediterraneo montane (Mediterranean mountainous) | 36 (3.2) |
| Atlantiche (Atlantic) | 24 (2.2) |
| Coltivate (Cultivated) | 4 (0.4) |
| no data 1 | 1 (0.1) |
| Forma Biologica (Life Form) | Number of Entities (%) |
|---|---|
| H (Hemicryptophytes) | 443 (39.7) |
| T (Therophytes) | 271 (24.3) |
| G (Geophytes) | 137 (12.3) |
| P (Phanerophytes) | 122 (10.9) |
| Ch (Chamaephytes) | 88 (7.9) |
| NP (Nano-Phanerophytes) | 39 (3.5) |
| I (Hydrophytes) | 15 (1.3) |
| He (Helophytes) | 1 (0.1) |
| Modalità di Utilizzo (Method of Use) | Number of Records (% 1) |
|---|---|
| Cotto (Cooked) | 746 (66.8) |
| Crudo (Raw) | 580 (52.0) |
| Aromatizzante (Flavoring) | 239 (21.4) |
| Bevande/Aceto (Alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages/Vinegar) | 190 (17.0) |
| Essiccato (Dried) | 79 (7.1) |
| Confetture (Preserve/Jams) | 65 (5.8) |
| Macinato/Farine (Milled/flours) | 36 (3.2) |
| Sottaceto (In vinegar) | 33 (3.0) |
| Tostato (Roasted) | 31 (2.8) |
| Sottolio (In oil) | 30 (2.7) |
| Olio (Oil) | 15 (1.3) |
| Sottosale (In salt) | 15 (1.3) |
| Mostarda (Pickle) | 9 (0.8) |
| Salamoia (Brine) | 7 (0.6) |
| Parte di Pianta Utilizzata (Part Used) | Number of Records (% 1) |
|---|---|
| Foglie (Leaves) | 623 (55.8) |
| Getti/Gemme (Young shoots/Gemmas) | 213 (19.1) |
| Frutti/Pseudofrutti (Fruits/Pseudofruits) | 159 (14.2) |
| Fiori/Boccioli (Flowers/Flower buds) | 154 (13.8) |
| Radici/Tuberi (Roots/Tubers) | 152 (13.6) |
| Parte aerea (Aerial part) | 131 (11.7) |
| Fusto/Turione/Rami (Stem/Turion/Branches) | 105 (9.4) |
| Rosetta basale (Basal rosette) | 98 (8.8) |
| Semi (Seeds) | 87 (7.8) |
| Infiorescenze (Inflorescences) | 79 (7.1) |
| Bulbi (Bulbs) | 35 (3.1) |
| Resina/Linfa/Lattice (Resin/Sap/Latex) | 8 (0.7) |
| Corteccia (Bark) | 7 (0.6) |
| Galle (Galls) | 2 (0.2) |
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Di Marzio, P.; Di Iorio, A.; Giancola, C.; Paura, B. AlimurgITA: A Database of the Italian Alimurgic Flora. Data 2025, 10, 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/data10120209
Di Marzio P, Di Iorio A, Giancola C, Paura B. AlimurgITA: A Database of the Italian Alimurgic Flora. Data. 2025; 10(12):209. https://doi.org/10.3390/data10120209
Chicago/Turabian StyleDi Marzio, Piera, Angela Di Iorio, Carmen Giancola, and Bruno Paura. 2025. "AlimurgITA: A Database of the Italian Alimurgic Flora" Data 10, no. 12: 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/data10120209
APA StyleDi Marzio, P., Di Iorio, A., Giancola, C., & Paura, B. (2025). AlimurgITA: A Database of the Italian Alimurgic Flora. Data, 10(12), 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/data10120209

