Plantago is a genus of about 200 species of in the family Plantaginaceae, commonly called plantains or fleaworts. The common name plantain is shared with the unrelated cooking plantain. Most are , though a few are growing to tall.
Description
The
leaves 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
are borne on stalks typically tall, and can be a short cone or a long spike, with numerous tiny wind-pollinated
.
Species
The boundaries of the genus
Plantago have been fairly stable, with the main question being whether to include
Bougueria (one species from the
Andes) and
Littorella (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
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Plantago africana
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Plantago aitchisonii
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Plantago alpina
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Plantago amplexicaulis
-
Plantago arborescens
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Plantago arenaria—Branched plantain
-
Plantago argentea
-
Plantago aristata—Bracted plantain, largebracted plantain
-
Plantago asiatica—Chinese plantain, obako, arnoglossa
-
Plantago aucklandica
-
Plantago bigelovii
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Plantago canescens
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Plantago cladarophylla
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Plantago coreana
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Plantago cordata—Heartleaf plantain
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Plantago coronopus—Buckshorn plantain
-
Plantago cornuti
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Plantago cretica
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Plantago cynops
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Plantago debilis—Shade plantain, weak plantain
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Plantago elongata—Prairie plantain, slender plantain
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Plantago erecta—California plantain, foothill plantain, dot-seed plantain, English plantain, dwarf plantain
-
Plantago eriopoda—Redwool plantain
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Plantago erosa
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Plantago fernandezia
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Plantago fischeri
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Plantago gentianoides
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Plantago glabrifolia
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Plantago grayana
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Plantago gunnii - bolster plantain or bolster plantago
-
Plantago hawaiensis—Hawaiian plantain
-
Plantago hedleyi
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Plantago helleri—Heller's plantain
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Plantago heterophylla
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Plantago hillebrandii
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Plantago himalaica
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Plantago holosteum
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Plantago hookeriana—Hookers plantain, tallow weed, California plantain
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Plantago incisa
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Plantago indica
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Plantago krajinai
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Plantago lagopus—Hare's foot plantain
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Plantago lanceolata—Ribwort plantain
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Plantago lanigera
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Plantago leiopetala—Madeira plantain
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Plantago longissima
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Plantago macrocarpa
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Plantago major—Greater plantain, common plantain
-
Plantago maritima—Sea plantain
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Plantago maxima
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Plantago media—Hoary plantain
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Plantago melanochrous
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Plantago moorei—Moore's plantain
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Plantago musicola
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Plantago nivalis
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Plantago novae-zelandiae
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Plantago nubicola (also known as Bougueria nubicola)
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Plantago obconica
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Plantago ovata—Indian wheat, blond psyllium
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Plantago pachyphylla
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Plantago palustris
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Plantago palmata
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Plantago patagonica—Woolly plantain
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Plantago picta
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Plantago polysperma
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Plantago princeps
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Plantago purshii—Woolly plantain
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Plantago pusilla
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Plantago psyllium—Sand plantain, French or dark psyllium
-
Plantago raoulii
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Plantago rapensis
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Plantago remota
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Plantago reniformis
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Plantago rhodosperma—Redseed plantain, redseed indianwheat
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Plantago rigida
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Plantago robusta
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Plantago rugelii—Blackseed plantain
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Plantago rupicola
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Plantago schneideri
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Plantago sempervirens
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Plantago sparsiflora
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Plantago spathulata
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Plantago subnuda—Tall coastal plantain
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Plantago tanalensis
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Plantago taqueti
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Plantago tenuiflora
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Plantago triandra
-
Plantago triantha
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Plantago tweedyi
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Plantago udicola
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Plantago unibracteata
-
Plantago virginica—Virginia plantain, paleseed plantain
-
Plantago winteri
-
Plantago wrightiana—Wright's plantain
Etymology
The genus name
Plantago descends from the classical
Latin name plantago, which in classical Latin meant some
Plantago species, including
Plantago major and
Plantago media. In Latin the name was formed from the classical Latin word planta = "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 -ago in Latin means "a sort of".
["Plantago" in The Names of Plants, by David Gledhill, year 2008. Compare the definitions of "planta", "plantago" and "plantarium" in Lewis and Short's Latin-English Dictionary . See "planta" at Latin-Dictionary.net .]
Distribution and habitat
The species are found all over the world, including the
Americas,
Asia,
Australia,
New Zealand,
Africa and
Europe. Many
species in the
genus are cosmopolitan weeds. They are found in many different
, most commonly in wet areas like seepages or
. 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
of some species of
Lepidoptera (
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.
[C. Michael Hogan (2008). Morro Creek , ed. by A. Burnham.] The broad-leaved varieties are sometimes used as a
leaf vegetable for
,
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 herbalism. The herb is astringent, anti-toxin, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, as well as demulcent, expectorant, styptic and diuretic.
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. P. psyllium seed is useful for constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, dietary fiber supplementation, and diverticular disease. Mucilage from Plantago ovata ( P. ovata) is obtained by grinding off the husk. This mucilage, also known as psyllium, is commonly sold as Isabgol, a laxative which is used to control irregular bowel syndrome and constipation.[Sangwan et al. (2011). Mucilages and their Pharmaceutical Applications: an Overview. Pharmacology Online 2: 1265–1271.] It has been used as an indigenous Ayurvedic 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 regions, the leaves were traditionally used topically as a cure for 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,[Ramírez-Restrepo, C. and T. Barry (2005). "Alternative temperate forages containing secondary compounds for improving sustainable productivity in grazing ruminants", Animal Feed Science and Technology, 120(3-4), 179–201.] 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 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
As
Old English Wegbrade the plantago is one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon
Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in the 10th century.
==Gallery==
External links
