EDIBLE SPONTANEOUS FLORA OF SOUTHEAST BUENOS AIRES (BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, ARGENTINA), NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND INQUIRIES INTO COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE

Background and aims: The study of spontaneous species in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province with food potential is approached from the knowledge of the community and nutritional assessment, with the objectives of presenting an updated list of species, inquiring about knowledge associated with them and offering a nutritional profile of selected species. M&M: A list of species was compiled from the bibliography. Field work included two surveys, with 451 and 178 participants respectively. A nutritional analysis of seven species was carried out, including moisture, ash, crude fat, crude protein, fibre and digestible carbohydrates. Results: The list of species that grow spontaneously in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, with potential use as edible plants, included 236 species from 64 families. The surveys show that the inhabitants of the southeast of Buenos Aires are aware of species of spontaneous flora, as well as interested in incorporating those into their diet. The nutritional analyses of the species analyzed indicate that they have desirable values for the different parameters measured, which makes them viable for incorporation into the diet. Conclusions: The native and/or exotic spontaneous flora of the southeast of the Buenos Aires Province includes edible species with nutritional value, of which community members have knowledge to identify, collect, and know about their uses, which can be rescued and shared. In addition, novel nutritional analyses of seven species from the region are provided.