Plantago major : Common Plantain

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family)

Genera: Plantago (Plantain) (Lat. planus=flat, level; or planta=sole of foot; referring to the broad flat leaves of P.major)

Species: major (Lat. magnus=greater; referring to the larger than other plantain leaves)

Synonym(s): P.juncoides

English Name(s):

Common Plantain,

First Nation Names:

Structure:

• Stems scapose (leafless).
• Tufted herbaceous plants from a taproot.
• Stems 10-30 cm or more high, arched-ascending to erect, more or less pubescent (hairy) with multi-cellular hairs.

Leaves:

• All basal (from base), forming a basal-rosette, and are petiolate (on a stalk).
• Major veins parallel.
• Ovate to cordate-ovate in shape.
• Blades 3-15 cm long by 1-12 cm wide. 5 to several nerved (veined).
• Margins entire (smooth) or more or less undulate.

Reproductive Parts:

• Flowers in terminal (at tip) spikes,
• Flowers small, perfect (bisexual), regular in symmetry, 4-merous.
• Pistil one, with ovary superior (above recepacle).
• Corolla (petals) united, 4 triangular lobes, lobes reflexed (bent back).
• Flower bracts lanceolate to ovate in shape.
• Spike up to 25 cm long, dense, linear-cylindric in shape.

Seed:

• Fruit a 2-loculed (chambered) capsule opening by a cup-shaped lid.
• Capsules 3-5 mm long, rhombic ovate in shape.
• Seeds with wavy thread-like ridges, 6-10 per capsule.

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial
• Though usually a perennial, this plant is sometimes an annual completeing its entire life-cycle in one season.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Flowers in July and August.
• Leaves and stems deciduous (dieing back)

Animal Uses:

• Seed spikes are relished by small birds.

Habitat:

• Waste places, townsites, disturbed soils, and riverbanks.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: