The ecology and use of edible thistles in Évora, Alentejo, Southeastern Portugal

Abstract

This chapter describes the results of a small ethnobotanical research project conducted in the region surrounding the city of Évora, in the central part of Alentejo. The objective of our study was to gain an initial understanding of the use of wild thistles as food in a small area near the city of Évora where thistles are commonly consumed and also traded in the more traditional markets. Given that several thistles occur in the area, one of our main goals was to identify which species were in fact used by the local population.