See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/292453767

Edible Weeds in Morocco

Article  in  Weed Technology · September 1995

DOI: 10.1017/S0890037X00023939

CITATIONS READS
49 417

2 authors, including:

Abbes Tanji

15 PUBLICATIONS   119 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:

Integrated weed management View project

All content following this page was uploaded by Abbes Tanji on 07 October 2019.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 Edible Weeds in Morocco 1

ABBES TANJI and FATIMA NASSIF

Abstract. Morocco has a large number of edible weeds, but seventeen are mostly eaten by the
population, collected for sale in different provinces, or even exported. Eight weeds have edible shoots
while the others have edible stems, fruits, roots, flowers, or petioles. Thirteen weed species are marketed
either seasonally or throughout the year and generate money for the people. Morocco's tassel grapehyac-
inth bulbs and products extracted from pennyroyal mint are exported. Further research should focus on
the nutritive value of these weeds and their economic role in the country.
Additional index words: Food, collection, sale, export.

Introduction February to April. It is considered as a weed in Morocco

The composite list of weeds in Morocco cites 838
species, subspecies, and varieties (2). Despite the negative
effects of these plants on cultivated crops, some of them
are used by the population for therapeutic treatments (3,
15) and for food. Moreover, weeds constitute a source of
income for an increasing number of people in the country
who collect, sell, and process these plants.
The present note examines the commonly edible weeds
in Morocco, their e#en parts, and the different seasons they
are mostly available on the market.
Botanical Characterization
Morocco has a large number of edible weeds, but sev­
enteen are mostly eaten by the population (Table 1). Some
of these weeds are collected for sale in different provinces
or even exported. Ten of these weeds are annuals arid seven
perennials.
and five other countries (10).
Mallows include five edible species from the Malvaceae
family. But the most common species is little mallow
which is found in Morocco and 15 other countries (10).
Milkvetch is a member of the Fabaceae family which
grows up to 1 m and flowers from February to April.
Flowers and pods are clustered in 2 to 15 in the upper parts
of racemes. Pods are 2 to 5 cm by 0.5 cm. This weed is
found in mediterranean countries (16).
Spiny emex is a member of the Polygonaceae family
with prostrate stems of 1 to 2 m in diameter and spiny fruits.
Staminate flowers are clustered at the upper part of ra­
cemes and pistillateflowersat the lower part. As a weed,
it is found in Morocco and eight other countries (10).
Table J. Common name and scientific name of edible weeds in Morocco.
Bayer
Common name Scientific name code 8

Annuals. Centaury is a member of the Asteraceae family

Bull mallow Malva nicaeensis All. MALNI
which grows up to 1.50 m tall, and flowers generally from Centaury Centaurea diluta Aiton
February to April. It is a troublesome weed in small grain Common purslane Portulaca oleracea L . POROL
Ridolfia segetum (L.) Moris CRYRI
cereals in the Settat province and probably other areas. Com caraway
CYUHU
Dwarf artichoke Cynara humilis L .
Common purslane is a prostrate member of the Portula- Dwarf mallow Malva rotundifolia L . MALPU
caceae family with a fleshy stem and succulent leaves. It Friar's cowl Arisarum vulgare Targ.-Tozz. AAUVU
High mallow Malva sylvestris L . MALSI
grows in irrigated fields and gardens, particularly during Little mallow Malva parviflora L . MALPA
summer (May to September). It is perceived as a weed in Milkvetch Astragalus boeticus L .
Pennyroyal mint Mentha pulegium L . MENPU
Morocco and 38 other countries (10). Smaller tree-mallow Lavatera cretica L . LVACR
Com caraway is an annual aromatic species in the Spanish salsify Scolymus hispanicus L . SCYHI
Spiny emex Emex spinosa (L.) Campd. EMESP
Apiaceae family which grows up to 1 m and flowers from Tassel grapehyacinth Muscari comosum (L.) Mill. MUSCO
White asparagus Asparagus albus L .
Wild jujube Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. ZIPLO

'Received for publication Mar. 3, 1995 and in revised form June 14, 1995. Bayer, AG. 1992. Important Crops of the World and Their Weeds. Published
a

Weed Scientist and Sociologist, respectively, Institut National de la Recher­

2
by Business Group Crop Protection, Leverkusen, Federal Republic of Germany,
che Agronomique, BP 589 Settat, Morocco. second edition, 1682 p.

617 Weed Technology. 1995. Volume 9:617-620

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 41.249.162.236, on 06 Apr 2019 at 14:31:03, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0890037X00023939
 TAN JI AND NASSIF: E D I B L E WEEDS IN MOROCCO

Perennials, Dwarf artichoke is a perennial member of the Table 2. Part used of commonly eaten weeds in Morocco.
Asteraceae family which grows up to 50 cm tall. Each plant Common name Root Petiole Stem Flower Shoot Fruit
gives usually one or two heads. It flowers between March
Centaury x
and June. This weed is found also in Spain and Portugal Common purslane x
(16). Com caraway x
Dwarf artichoke x x
Friar's cowl is a small perennial species in the Araceae Friar's cowl x
family with only one sagittate-ovate leaf, rarely two, per Mallows (all 5 species) x
Milkvetch x
plant. It propagates only from tubers. It is common in Pennyroyal mint x
mediterranean countries (16). Spanish salsify x
Spiny emex x
Pennyroyal mint is a rhizomatous member of the Tassel grapehyacinth x
Lamiaceae family which usually grows in wet sites includ­ White asparagus x
Wild jujube x
ing ditches, stream banks, and lakeshores. Flowers appear
from May to September. This aromatic plant is cultivated
in some areas of Morocco. As a weed, it is found in six
other countries (10).
Spanish salsify is a perennial (sometimes biennial or stems and leaves are cut, steamed, and prepared with green
even annual) member of the Asteraceae family with rigid olives, garlic, olive oil, and spices. In other countries,
stems and spiny leaves and can be up to 1.5 m tall. Flowers mallows are served as salads (13) or cooked in varied ways
usually appear from March to May. This weed is found in (7, 8,9,12).
Morocco and seven other countries (10). Fresh and dry shoots of pennyroyal mint are always
Tassel grapehyacinth is a perennial species in the available in the market. They are either boiled with milk
Liliaceae family with scaly bulbs and violate flowers. It or combined with tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. .Kuntze]
propagates from bulbs. Each plant has three or four leaves. or spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) to make hot tea. Penny­
Upper flowers of a cylindrical raceme are sterile. This royal mint is also used to perfume tea when spearmint or
species is considered a weed in Morocco and five other
wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) is not available.
countries (10).
Tender shoots of white asparagus are collected, boiled,
White asparagus is a thorny perennial member of the
and served as salads. Shoots are generally available from
Liliaceae family with white woody stems up to 1 m high.
October to February.
This weed is common in Morocco and other Mediterranean
Shoots of common purslane are collected in summer/
countries (16).
from irrigated fields. In Morocco, they are cooked in the
Wild jujube is a deciduous thorny shrub in the Rham-
naceae family with ovate leaves of 1 to 2 cm. Native stands same way as mallows. In other countries, common
produce flowers and fruits from July to October. Brown purslane shoots are used in salads, French and Italian
globular fruits are 1 cm. Outside Morocco, this plant is soups, and pickles (5, 13, 14).
found in North Africa and other Mediterranean countries Stem. Young stems of centaury, com caraway, and spiny
(16). emex are peeled and eaten raw. They are generally avail­
able in cultivated fields between February and April.
Fruit. Milkvetch pods are collected and eaten raw. Chil­
Edible Parts dren, particularly shepherds, enjoy collecting and eating
Table 2 indicates the different parts that are eaten from milkvetch fruits between February and April. Tender pods
each weed. Eight weed species have edible shoots, three are totally consumed while mature pods are chewed,
edible stems, two edible fruits, two edible roots, two edible sucked, and the rest is discarded. In an ongoing study by
petioles, and one edible flowers. the authors, mature milkvetch seeds contain 4.14% nitro­
Shoot Five species from the mallow family provide edible gen, 0.37% phosphorus, 0.84% potassium, 0.16% calcium,
shoots. It is not easy to identify the different species at the and 0.20% sodium.
vegetative stage which is the best time for their collection Wild jujube fruits are collected at maturity (September-
for food. Mallows emerge immediately after the first fall October) from plants growing in native stands. The peri­
rains in October or November. In Morocco, only young carp is edible but the seed is discarded. Lechevalier (11)

618 Volume 9. Issue 3 (July-September) 1995

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 41.249.162.236, on 06 Apr 2019 at 14:31:03, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0890037X00023939
 WEED TECHNOLOGY

reported that fruits of wild jujube are consumed in Algeria, Table 3. Sales period of commonly edible weeds in a normal cropping year in
Tunisia, and Syria. Morocco.

Root. In Morocco, tubers of Friar's cowl are associated Season a

with famine periods and harsh times during the early Common name
1940s. They were washed, dried, and milled for bread
Tassel grapehyacinth
making. Moroccan tubers contain 38% starch, 1% sugar, Pennyroyal mint
and 0.76% nitrogen (4). Mallows (5 species)
Wild jujube
Flowers. Dwarf artichoke heads are eaten either raw or Common purslane
boiled, fleshy receptacles are cooked with meat. The flow­ White asparagus
Spanish salsify
ers are used in coagulating milk. They are available be­ Dwarf artichoke
tween February and April. Milkvetch
Fall Winter Spring Summer
x x
x x x x
x x
x x x x
x
x x
x x
x
x x

Petiole. Leaves of Spanish salsify and dwarf artichoke are Fall: September-November; Winter: December-February; Spring: March-
a

collected and petioles are eaten either fresh or cooked with May; Summer: June-August.

meat. While Spanish salsify is found in the market from

October to January, dwarf artichoke is found from Febru­
ary to April.
Economic Importance
Out of 17 weed species, 13 are marketed either season­
ally or throughout the year (Table 3). In addition to their
use as food, some weeds have become a source of money
for people. Furthermore, tassel grapehyacinth and penny­
royal mint contribute to generating foreign currency
through export.
In Morocco, bulbs of tassel grapehyacinth are not eaten
but collected from cultivated fields between October and
January and sold for export. In Settat province, tassel
grapehyacinth bulbs are collected and sold by rural people
in local weekly markets. Merchants generally purchase all
available material on behalf of a few big exporters. Inter­
estingly, this is not a recent activity in Morocco. Gattefosse
(6) reported that Morocco's tassel grapehyacinth bulbs
were formally exported to the United States of America,
Italy, and Greece. Tassel grapehyacinth bulbs are com­
monly referred to by custom administration as wild onions.
Continuous removal of tassel grapehyacinth bulbs from
cultivated fields has led to a drastic reduction of this weed
in the Settat province. Due to the 1994-95 drought, tassel
grapehyacinth bulbs did not grow. The last year's price was
2 dirhams per kilogram of bulbs (1 US dollar = 9 Moroccan
dirhams).
Pennyroyal mint is collected at the vegetative or flow­
ering stage and bundles are sold throughout the year.
Bennenfant (1) reported that shoots were collected from
the Sebou river banks in the northern provinces of Morocco
and sold to local factories for processing. In 1972,133 tons
of pennyroyal extracted compounds were exported to
Spain and other countries. In winter 1995, one bundle of
pennyroyal mint is sold at 0.50 to 1 dirham.
Wild jujube fruits are sold on sidewalks in late summer
and fall. Fruits are also found in stores throughout the year.
In winter 1995, one kilogram of wild jujube fruits cost 10
dirhams.
Bundles of mallows, Spanish salsify, and white aspara­
gus are sold along roads and highways, and also in markets.
Those of common purslane are found only in the market
during the summer.
Heads and leaves of dwarf artichoke are sold only in
markets during a limited period of time. In 1994, one
bundle of each of these weeds cost 1 to 10 dirhams,
depending on the size and quality of the plants.
Milkvetch pods are assembled in bundles and generally
sold along roads and near schools. It is usually purchased
by children. The price for one bundle of milkvetch fruits
varies between 0.20 and 0.50 dirhams.
Conclusion
Weeds are not always bothersome and have to be de­
stroyed or discarded. They can be valuable resources and
have multiple uses. One valuable aspect of weeds is their
use as food. Moreover, weeds can generate activity and
money. As Emerson said "a weed is a plant whose virtues
have not yet been discovered" (17).
This paper has described 17 weed species that are used
as food and have economic value. These weeds have been
known for their virtues for years throughout Morocco.
Further research should focus on the nutritive value of
edible weeds and their economic role.

"'o'ume 9, Issue 3 (July-September) 1995 619

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 41.249.162.236, on 06 Apr 2019 at 14:31:03, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0890037X00023939
 TANJI AND NASSIF: E D I B L E W E E D S IN MOROCCO

9. Hedrick, U. P. 1972. Sturtevanfs Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publi­

Literature Cited
1. Bonnenfant, C. R 1981. Les epices et les plantes a parfum. Maroc Agricole
9(131): 13-20.
2. Boulet, C , A. Tanji, and A. Taleb. Index synonymique des taxons presents
dans les milieux culitves ou artificialises du Maroc occidental et central.
Actes Inst. Agron. V6t 9:65-98.
3. Boulos, L. 1983. Medicinal Plants of North Africa. Reference Publications,
Inc., Algonac, MI, 286 p.
4. Chamot, H. 1945. La Toxicologic au Maroc. Memoires de la Societe des
Sciences Naturelles au Maroc No 47, Rabat, 826 p.
5. Duke, J. A. 1992. Handbook of Edible Weeds. C R C Press, Boca Raton, F L ,
225 p.
6. Gattefosse, J. 1941. Possibility de valorisation de la flore marocaine. La
Terre Marocaine 11(139):21 -23.
7. Grieve, M. 1981. A Modem Herbal. Dover Publications, Inc., New York,
Volumes 1 and 2, 902 p.
8. Hatfield, A. W. 1973. How to Enjoy Your Weeds. Sterling Publishing Co,
Inc., New York, 192 p.
cations, Inc., New York, 686 p.
10. Holm, L . , J. V. Pancho, J. P. Herberger, and D. L . Plucknett. 1979. A
Geographical Atlas of World Weeds. Wiley and Sons, New York, 391 p.
11. Lechevalier, A. 1947. Les jujubiers ou Ziziphus de l'ancien monde et
{'utilisation de leurs fruits. Rev. Bot. Appl. 27:470-483.
12. Leclerk, H. 1976. Precis de Phytotherapie. Masson, Paris, 5 ed., 363 p.
13. Nyerges, C . 1982. Wild Greens and Salads. Stackpole Books, Harrisburg,
PA, 204 p.
14. Oliveira, J. S. and M. F. Decarvalho. 1975. Nutritional value of some edible
leaves used in Mozambique. Econ. Bot. 29:255-263.
15. Sijelmassi, A. 1990. Les Plantes Medicinales du Maroc. LeFennec, Casab­
lanca, 304 p.
16. Tutin, T G., V. H. Hey wood, N. A. Burges, D. M. Moore, D. H. Valentine,
D. A. Webb. 1964-80. Flora Europaeae. Cambridge University Press, Ox­
ford, 5 volumes.
17. Zimdahl, R. L . 1993. Weeds: the beginning, p. 13-33 in Fundamentals of
Weed Science. Academic Press, Inc., New York.

620 Volume 9, Issue 3 (July-September) 1995

Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 41.249.162.236, on 06 Apr 2019 at 14:31:03, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0890037X00023939
View publication stats