''Plantago'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of about 200 species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s 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 foxglove. It is unrelated to the banana-like fruit also called "plantain." In older cl ...

, 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 plant Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...

s, 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 Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

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

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

s are borne on stalks typically tall, and can be a short cone or a long spike, with numerous tiny wind-pollinated

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

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 The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

) 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 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'' 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 lagopus''—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''—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 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 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 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 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'' 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 ...

'' *'' 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 Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

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 Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

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 New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Many

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the

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

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

s, 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

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e 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 Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

and

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

Uses

Plantain has been consumed as human food since

prehistory Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

. For example, archaeological recovery along

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

'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

salad A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...

green sauce Green sauce or greensauce is a family of cold, uncooked sauces based on chopped herbs, including the Spanish and Italian ''salsa verde'', the French ''sauce verte'', the German ''Grüne Soße'' or ''Frankfurter Grie Soß'' (Frankfurt dialect), ...

, 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 Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

, 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 A diuretic () is any substance that promotes diuresis, the increased production of urine. This includes forced diuresis. A diuretic tablet is sometimes colloquially called a water tablet. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics in ...

. 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 Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

it is even claimed to be able to cure

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

bite and was used by the Dakota Indian tribe of North America for this. Internally, it is used for coughs and bronchitis, as a

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

, 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 Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel movement ...

, 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 Unani or Yunani medicine (Urdu: ''tibb yūnānī'') is Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific. The Indian Medical Association describes U ...

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

. 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 Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

and other

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

an 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 Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion of t ...

(such as caused by tight shoes etc.). There may also be a use for plantains in the abatement of enteric

methane Methane ( , ) is a chemical compound with the chemical formula (one carbon atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms). It is a group-14 hydride, the simplest alkane, and the main constituent of natural gas. The relative abundance of methane on Eart ...

from

ruminants Ruminants ( suborder Ruminantia) are hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principally through microbial actions. The ...

, as the natural compounds present (e.g. condensed

tannins Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', f ...

; ~14 g/kg DM), affect the acetate-propionate ratio in the

rumen The rumen, also known as a paunch, is the largest stomach compartment in ruminants and the larger part of the reticulorumen, which is the first chamber in the alimentary canal of ruminant animals. The rumen's microbial favoring environment allow ...

, 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