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 Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:04 am Post subject: felechu/fleitu – bracken – helecho |
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felechu: chiefly Central Asturian, pronounced Feh-LEH-choo. In West Asturian, fleitu is pronounced FLAY-too, with word variants that include fuleitu (Foo-LAY-too) and fuletsu (Foo-LEH-tsoo).
Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) is a genus comprising many species of ferns. It is the most common genus in Asturias, usually a large plant of 1-3m producing spores on the underside of the frond. There is no local tradition of eating immature fronds, known as fiddleheads in New England.
A place where ferns are found in thickets is known as felguera (Fehl-GEH-rah) in Central Asturian or fulgueira (Fool-GAY-rah) in West Asturian. In Galician, the word is fento, with variants at fieita, fenta, felgo and folgueira.
Bracken is very common in Asturias due to the humid, Atlantic climate. It is a species with fossil records going back 55 million years. In winter, at higher elevations, Pteridium turns a rusty red color because of its deciduous nature.
Usage examples:
El sendeiru taba l.len de fulgueiras. [The path was full of ferns.]
Nolo quier segar los felechos que medraron nel so prau. [Nolo wants to mow the ferns that grew in his field.]
Daquella metiamos felechos na cuadra pal ganau. [Back then we used to put ferns in the cow shed.]
Ou tan los fleitos que trouxera anueite? [Where are the ferns that I brought last night?]
Bracken growing in the mortar of a hedge:
Winterizing bracken next to a casina cow in county Casu:
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