''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated

cooking plantain Cooking bananas are banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking. They may be eaten ripe or unripe and are generally starchy. Many cooking bananas are referred to as plantains (/ˈplæntɪn/, /plænˈteɪn/ ...

. Most are herbaceous plants, though a few are

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or dwarf shrub is a short shrub, and is a woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a related term. "Subshrub" is often used interchangeably with "bush".Jackson, Benjamin, Daydon; A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Der ...

s growing to tall.

Description

The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are sessile or have a poorly defined petiole. They have three or five parallel veins that diverge in the wider part of the leaf. Leaves are broad or narrow, depending on the species. The inflorescences are borne on stalks typically tall, and can be a short cone or a long spike, with numerous tiny wind-pollinated flowers.

Species

The boundaries of the genus ''Plantago'' have been fairly stable, with the main question being whether to include ''

Bougueria ''Plantago nubicola'' is a plant found in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area o ...

'' (one species from the Andes) and ''

Littorella ''Littorella'' is a genus of two to three species of aquatic plants. Many plants live their entire lives submersed, and reproduce by stolons, but some are only underwater for part of the year, and flower when they are not underwater. Classific ...

'' (2–3 species of aquatic plants).Albach, D. C., Meudt, H. M. & Oxelman, B. 2005
Piecing together the "new" Plantaginaceae
''American Journal of Botany'' 92: 297–315. There are about 200 species of ''Plantago'', including: *''

Plantago afra ''Plantago indica'', commonly known as branched plantain, sand plantain, or black psyllium, is a flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, and is one of a few species in the ''Plantago'' genus under the common name psyllium. The plan ...

'' *'' Plantago africana'' *''

Plantago aitchisonii ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago alpina'' *''

Plantago amplexicaulis ''Plantago amplexicaulis'' is an annual plant of the family Plantaginaceae and the genus ''Plantago ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The co ...

'' *'' Plantago arborescens'' *'' Plantago arenaria''—Branched plantain *'' Plantago argentea'' *'' Plantago aristata''—Bracted plantain, largebracted plantain *'' Plantago asiatica''—Chinese plantain, obako, arnoglossa *'' Plantago aucklandica'' *'' Plantago bigelovii'' *'' Plantago canescens'' *'' Plantago coreana'' *'' Plantago cordata''—Heartleaf plantain *''

Plantago coronopus ''Plantago coronopus'', the buck's-horn plantain, is a herbaceous annual to perennial flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. Other common names in the US and Italy include minutina and erba stella. Description ''Plantago coronopus'' prod ...

''—Buckshorn plantain *''

Plantago cornuti ''Plantago cornuti'' is a species of plant belonging to the family Plantaginaceae. It is native to Europe and Asia-Temperate. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q17504650 cornuti The ''Cornuti'' ("horned") was an ''auxilia palatina'' unit of the L ...

'' *''

Plantago cretica ''Plantago cretica'' is a species of ''Plantago'', family Plantaginaceae known by the common name Cretan plantain. Description and Biology It is a tumbleweed, densely tufted annual plant. The leaves are in basal rosette, entire, narrow-linear an ...

'' *''

Plantago cynops ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago debilis ''Plantago debilis'' is a species of herb native to Australia. Common names include shade plantain and weak plantain. Description It grows as an annual or perennial herb up to 20 centimetres high, with green or white flowers and a slender tapr ...

''—Shade plantain, weak plantain *''

Plantago elongata ''Plantago elongata'' is a species of plantain known by the common names prairie plantain and slender plantain. It is native to much of western North America, from British Columbia to California and as far east as Minnesota. It grows in wet ha ...

''—Prairie plantain, slender plantain *''

Plantago erecta ''Plantago erecta'' is a flowering plant in the plantain family, commonly known as the California plantain, foothill plantain, dot-seed plantain, English plantain, and dwarf plantain. ''Plantago erecta'' is a small, unassuming annual herb with n ...

''—California plantain, foothill plantain, dot-seed plantain, English plantain, dwarf plantain *''

Plantago eriopoda ''Plantago eriopoda'' is a species of plantain known by the common name redwool plantain. It is native to much of western and central North America from Alaska to the southwestern United States to the Great Lakes region, where it can be found in ...

''—Redwool plantain *''

Plantago erosa ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago fernandezia ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago fischeri ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago gentianoides'' *'' Plantago glabrifolia'' *''

Plantago grayana ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago hawaiensis''—Hawaiian plantain *''

Plantago hedleyi '' Plantago hedleyi '' is a flowering plant in the plantain family. The specific epithet honours Australian naturalist and conchologist Charles Hedley, who helped collect the species in 1893. Description It is a perennial herb. The narrowly obla ...

'' *''

Plantago helleri ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

''—Heller's plantain *''

Plantago heterophylla ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago hillebrandii'' *''

Plantago himalaica ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, thoug ...

'' *''

Plantago holosteum ''Plantago holosteum'' is an annual plant of the family Plantaginaceae and the genus ''Plantago''. Description ''Plantago holosteum'' grows to in height. The flowering period extends from May to June. Distribution and habitat This species can ...

'' *''

Plantago hookeriana ''Plantago hookeriana'', commonly called Hookers plantain, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family (Plantaginaceae). It is native to Texas and Louisiana in the United States.Plantago incisa ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago indica ''Plantago indica'', commonly known as branched plantain, sand plantain, or black psyllium, is a flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, and is one of a few species in the ''Plantago'' genus under the common name psyllium. The plan ...

'' *'' Plantago krajinai'' *''

Plantago lagopus ''Plantago lagopus'', the hare's foot plantain, is a species of annual herb in the family Plantaginaceae. They have a self-supporting growth form and simple, broad leaves. Flowers are visited by Heliotaurus ruficollis, Malachius, Metopoplax ori ...

''—Hare's foot plantain *''

Plantago lanceolata ''Plantago lanceolata'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain, ribleaf, lamb's tongue, and buckhorn. It is a common weed on c ...

''—Ribwort plantain *''

Plantago lanigera ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago leiopetala ''Plantago leiopetala'' is a herbaceous perennial, caulescent with a thick woody, white pubescent stem up to 6 cm in height, bearing the bases of old petioles and scapes. Lanceolate, glabrous or glabrescent leaves up to 21 cm in length ...

''—Madeira plantain *''

Plantago longissima ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago macrocarpa ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago major''—Greater plantain, common plantain *'' Plantago maritima''—Sea plantain *''

Plantago maxima ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago media ''Plantago media'', known as the hoary plantain, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is native to central and western Europe, including Great Britain and introduced to parts of the north-east United States. ...

''—Hoary plantain *''

Plantago melanochrous ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago moorei ''Plantago moorei'', also called Moore's plantain, is a species of plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is endemic to Falkland Islands. Its natural habitat is temperate shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant c ...

''—Moore's plantain *''

Plantago musicola ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago nivalis ''Plantago nivalis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae, the plantain family, is a large, diverse family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales that includes common flowers such as snapdragon and fo ...

'' *''

Plantago nubicola ''Plantago nubicola'' is a plant found in Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. It was long classified as ''Bougueria nubicola'', the only species in the genus ''Bougueria'', and indeed it has a number of characteristics which make it different from the ...

'' (also known as ''Bougueria nubicola'') *''

Plantago obconica ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago ovata ''Plantago ovata'', known by many common names including blond plantain, desert Indianwheat, blond psyllium, and ispagol, is native to the Mediterranean region and naturalized in central, eastern, and south Asia and North America. It is a commo ...

''—Indian wheat, blond psyllium *''

Plantago pachyphylla ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago palmata ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago patagonica ''Plantago patagonica'' is a species of plantain known by the common name woolly plantain. It is native to much of North America, including the southern half of Canada, the western and central United States, and northern Mexico, and parts of sout ...

''—Woolly plantain *''

Plantago polysperma ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago princeps ''Plantago princeps'' is a rare species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name ''ale''. It is endemic to Hawaii, where it is known from the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui.

'' *'' Plantago purshii''—Woolly plantain *''

Plantago pusilla ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago psyllium''—Sand plantain, French or dark psyllium *''

Plantago raoulii ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago rapensis ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago remota ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago reniformis ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago rhodosperma ''Plantago rhodosperma'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common names redseed plantain and redseed indianwheat. It is native to the Great Plains and Southwest of the United States.Plantago rigida'' *''

Plantago robusta ''Plantago robusta'', commonly known as the St Helena plantain, is a flowering plant in the family Plantaginaceae. It is endemic to St. Helena. It is classified as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. ...

'' *''

Plantago rugelii ''Plantago rugelii'' is an edible species of flowering plant in the plantain family, Plantaginaceae. It is native to North America, where it occurs in eastern Canada and the central and eastern United States. Its common names include American pla ...

''—Blackseed plantain *''

Plantago rupicola ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago schneideri ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago sempervirens'' *''

Plantago sparsiflora ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago spathulata'' *''

Plantago subnuda ''Plantago subnuda'' is a species of plantain known by the common name tall coastal plantain. It is native to western North America from the west coast of the United States to west-central Mexico, where it grows in wet and moist habitat types, of ...

''—Tall coastal plantain *''

Plantago tanalensis ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago taqueti'' *''

Plantago tenuiflora ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *'' Plantago triandra'' *'' Plantago triantha'' *'' Plantago tweedyi'' *'' Plantago virginica''—Virginia plantain, paleseed plantain *''

Plantago winteri ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

'' *''

Plantago wrightiana ''Plantago'' is a genus of about 200 species of flowering plants in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are herbaceous plants, though a ...

''—Wright's plantain

Etymology

The genus name ''Plantago'' descends from the classical Latin name , which in classical Latin meant some ''Plantago'' species, including '' Plantago major'' and ''

''. In Latin the name was formed from the classical Latin word = "sole of the foot". The name was so formed in Latin because the leaves of these species grow out near flat at ground level. The suffix in Latin means "a sort of".

Distribution and habitat

The species are found all over the world, including the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, Asia,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, New Zealand, Africa and Europe. Many species in the genus are

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

weeds. They are found in many different habitats, most commonly in wet areas like seepages or

bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s. They can also be found in alpine and semi-alpine or coastal areas. The cosmopolitan weeds can be frequently seen at the side of roads.

Ecology

Plantains are used as food plants by the larvae of some species of

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...

( butterfly and moth).

Uses

Plantain has been consumed as human food since prehistory. For example, archaeological recovery along California's Central Coast has demonstrated use of this species as a food since the Millingstone Horizon. The broad-leaved varieties are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable for salads, green sauce, and so on. Tender young plantain leaves can be eaten raw and older leaves can be cooked. The seeds can be cooked like rice. ''Plantago'' species have been used since prehistoric times as herbal remedies. The

herb In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicinal ...

is astringent, anti- toxic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,

anti-histamine Antihistamines are pharmaceutical drug, drugs which treat allergic rhinitis, common cold, influenza, and other allergies. Typically, people take antihistamines as an inexpensive, Generic drug, generic (not patented) drug that can be bought over ...

, as well as demulcent, expectorant,

styptic An antihemorrhagic (antihæmorrhagic) agent is a substance that promotes hemostasis (stops bleeding). It may also be known as a hemostatic (also spelled haemostatic) agent. Antihemorrhagic agents used in medicine have various mechanisms of action: ...

and diuretic. Externally, a poultice of the leaves is useful for insect bites, poison-ivy rashes, minor sores, and

boil A boil, also called a furuncle, is a deep folliculitis, which is an infection of the hair follicle. It is most commonly caused by infection by the bacterium ''Staphylococcus aureus'', resulting in a painful swollen area on the skin caused by an ...

s. In folklore it is even claimed to be able to cure snakebite and was used by the Dakota Indian tribe of North America for this. Internally, it is used for coughs and bronchitis, as a tea, tincture, or syrup. Tea made from the leaves may help cure diarrhea. Plantain seed husks expand and become mucilaginous when wet, especially those of ''P. psyllium'', which is used in common over-the-counter bulk laxative and fiber supplement products such as

Metamucil Metamucil is a fiber supplement. Introduced in 1934 by G. D. Searle & Company, Metamucil was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1985. The name is a combination of the Greek word for change (meta) and the class of fiber that it utilizes (mucilage). ...

. ''P. psyllium'' seed is useful for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, dietary fiber supplementation, and

diverticular disease Diverticular disease is when problems occur due to diverticulosis, a condition defined by the presence of pouches in the wall of the large intestine (diverticula). This includes diverticula becoming inflamed ( diverticulitis) or bleeding. Colonic ...

. Mucilage from desert indianwheat (''P. ovata'') is obtained by grinding off the

husk Husk (or hull) in botany is the outer shell or coating of a seed. In the United States, the term husk often refers to the leafy outer covering of an ear of maize (corn) as it grows on the plant. Literally, a husk or hull includes the protective ...

. This mucilage, also known as psyllium, is commonly sold as

Isabgol Psyllium , or ispaghula , is the common name used for several members of the plant genus ''Plantago'' whose seeds are used commercially for the production of mucilage. Psyllium is mainly used as a dietary fiber to relieve symptoms of both constip ...

, a laxative which is used to control irregular bowel syndrome and constipation. It has been used as an indigenous

Ayurvedic Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...

and Unani medicine for a whole range of bowel problems. Psyllium supplements are typically used in powder form, along with adequate amounts of fluids. A dose of at least 7 grams daily taken with adequate amounts of fluid (water, juice) is used by some for management of elevated cholesterol. There are a number of psyllium products used for constipation. The usual dose is about 3.5 grams twice a day. Psyllium is also a component of several ready-to-eat cereals. In Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Russia, leaves from ''Plantago major'' are used as a folk remedy to preventing infection on cuts and scratches because of its antiseptic properties. In Slovenia and other Central European regions, the leaves were traditionally used topically as a cure for

blister A blister is a small pocket of body fluid (lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus) within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled wi ...

s resulting from friction (such as caused by tight shoes etc.). There may also be a use for plantains in the abatement of enteric methane from ruminants, as the natural compounds present (e.g. condensed tannins; ~14 g/kg DM), affect the acetate-propionate ratio in the rumen, which is a primary mechanism by which

methanogenesis Methanogenesis or biomethanation is the formation of methane coupled to energy conservation by microbes known as methanogens. Organisms capable of producing methane for energy conservation have been identified only from the domain Archaea, a group ...

is restricted.Lourenço, M., G. Van Ranst, B. Vlaeminck, S. De Smet, and V. Fievez (2008). "Influence of different dietary forages on the fatty acid composition of rumen digesta as well as ruminant meat and milk", Animal Feed Science and Technology, 145(1-4), 418–437. Currently this is not a viable option in any significant scale due to agronomic difficulties.

Culture

Old English Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...

''Wegbrade'' the plantago is one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon '' Nine Herbs Charm'', recorded in the 10th century.

Gallery

File:Plantago alpina0.jpg, ''Plantago alpina'' File:Plantago_lanceolata_plant.jpg, Ribwort plantain (''Plantago lanceolata'') File:Ribwort 600.jpg , Ribwort plantain (''Plantago lanceolata'') File:Plantago nivalis.JPG, ''Plantago nivalis'' File:Ribwort flower spike 800.jpg, Ribwort plantain flower spike File:Plantago coronopus0.jpg, Buckshorn plantain (''Plantago coronopus'') File:Plantago-media-stepposa10.jpg, ''Plantago media stepposa'' File:Plantago-maritima-flowers.JPG, ''Plantago maritima''

References

External links

* *
Common Plantain, from Mrs. Grieve's herbal

Medicinal uses of P. major in Armenia

* ttp://www.northernbushcraft.com/plants/commonPlantain/notes.htm Edibility of Plantago Visual identification and edible parts of wild plantago. {{Taxonbar, from=Q164686 Plantaginaceae genera Laxatives Leaf vegetables Medicinal plants Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus