Minor and Underutilized Fruits in Georgia and Their Wild Relatives

摘要

Georgia, located in the South Caucasus, is very rich with fruits used in local diet very extensively. The principal fruits cultivated in the country are grape, apple, pear, quince, plum, cherry, peach, apricot and citruses. In parallel, population widely uses minor and underutilized fruits from wild flora, represented with high number of genera following: blackberry (Rubus L.), raspberry (R. idaeus L.), current (Ribes L.), gooseberries (Grossularia (L.) Mill.), bilberry (Vaccinium L.), wild strawberry (Fragaria L.), barberry (Berberis), cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.), mulberry (Morus L.), rose-hips (R. canina L.), sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), ash berry (Sorbus L.) oleaster (Eleagnus angustifolia L.), hawthorn (Crataegus L.), cherry-laurel (Larocerasus officinalis L.), snowball (Viburnum opulus L.), olive tree (Olea europea L.), wild fig (Ficus carica L.), persimmon (Diospirus lotus L.), pomegranate (Punucum granaticum L.), plums (Prunus L.) and others. The fruits are used as fresh, as for processing to make preserves, juices, syrup, jam, dry products, alcoholic and not-alcoholic beverages, tea surrogates, morse, oil, confectioneries, candy, etc. The plants have medical, honey, decorative value; are suitable for usage as rootstocks, anti-erosion and wind-brake plantation, live fences and other purposes.