Mineral Nutrient Composition of Edible Wild Plants

Mineral element composition is given for the leaves of eight species of edible wild plants used by the first European farmers and still consumed at the present day in a primitive way. Amounts of moisture, ash, organic nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese were computed. Plants harvested in several places where these species grow were analyzed. This is the first comprehensive nutrient report on most of these species of leafy green vegetables. Mineral element content was high inAmaranthus viridisandVerbena officinalis.Moisture content was found to be high, above 90/100 g, inStellaria media,and therefore most mineral elements were found in small amounts in this species. Sodium content (292 mg/100 g) was high forCrithmum maritimum,a halophytic species. K/Na, Ca/P, and Na/(Ca + Mg) nutrient ratios were also found to be favorable in most cases.