Everything about Plantago totally explained
Plantago is a
genus of about 200 species of small, inconspicuous plants commonly called
plantains. They share this name with the very dissimilar
plantain, a kind of
banana. Most are
herbaceous plants, though a few are
subshrubs growing to 60 cm (23.5 in) tall. The
leaves are sessile, but have a narrow part near the stem which is a pseudo-
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 5-40 cm (2.25-15.75 in) tall, and can be a short cone or a long spike, with numerous tiny wind-pollinated
flowers.
Plantains are used as food plants by the
larvae of some species of
Lepidoptera (
butterfly and
moth) - see
list of Lepidoptera that feed on plantains.
They are found all over the
world, including
America,
Asia,
Australia,
New Zealand,
Africa and
Europe. Many
species in the
genus are
cosmopolitan weeds. They are found in many different
habitats, most commonly in wet areas like seepages or bogs. 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.
Uses
Plantago species are often used as
herbal remedies. The
herb is
astringent, anti-
toxic,
antimicrobial,
anti-inflammatory, as well as
demulcent,
expectorant,
styptic and
diuretic. Externally, a
poultice of the leaves is useful for insect bites,
poison-ivy rashes, minor sores, and
boils. In
folklore it's even claimed to be able to cure
snakebite. Internally, it's used for coughs and
bronchitis, as a
tea,
tincture, or
syrup. The broad-leaved varieties are sometimes used as a
leaf vegetable for
salads,
green sauce, et cetera.
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. Recent research is also showing it to be promising in lowering
cholesterol and controlling
diabetes.
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 India,
mucilage from (
Plantago ovata) is obtained by grinding off the
husk. The mucilage is sold as
Isabgol, a
laxative which is used to control irregular bowel syndrome and constipation. It is also used in cereals as a treatment of mild to moderate
hypercholesterolemia and for reducing
blood glucose. It has been used as an
indigenous Ayurvedic and
Unani medicine for a whole range of
bowel problems including
chronic constipation,
amoebic dysentery and
diarrhoea.
In Romania and Bulgaria, leaves from
Plantago major are used as a
folk remedy to preventing infection on cuts and scratches because of its
antiseptic properties.
Species
There are about 200 species of
Plantago, including:
Gallery
Image:Plantago alpina0.jpg|Plantago alpina
Image:Plantago major3.jpg|Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Image:Ribwort 600.jpg |Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Image:Plantago nivalis.JPG|Plantago nivalis
Image:Ribwort flower spike 800.jpg|Ribwort Plantain flower spike
Image:Plantago coronopus0.jpg|Buckshorn Plantain (Plantago coronopus)
Image:Plantago-media-stepposa10.jpg|Plantago media stepposa
Image:Plantago-maritima-flowers.JPG|Plantago maritima
Further Information
Get more info on 'Plantago'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://plantago.totallyexplained.com">Plantago Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
