Plantago Media

[Mirtha Shikles]

Plantagomedia, 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. Its generic name is derived from the Latin for sole; like other members of the genus Plantago, it should not be confused with the unrelated plantain, a starchy banana.

Plantago media grows in damp grassy meadows up to an altitude of 2000 m. A slender stalk of between 5 and 50 cm develops from a basal rosette of finely-haired leaves. Delicate pink-white flowers are borne between May and September. P. media is hermaphrodite and is pollinated by wind or insects, particularly bees.

Edible Parts: Flowers Leaves

Edible Uses:

Young leaves - raw or cooked[7]. The very young leaves have a fairly mild flavour but with a slight bitterness[K]. Used in salads before they become tough[7]. The inflorescence is sweet and is sucked by children[177, 183].

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Astringent Demulcent Deobstruent Depurative Diuretic Expectorant Haemostatic Laxative

Odontalgic Ophthalmic Refrigerant

The leaves, flowering stems and roots are somewhat astringent, deobstruent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic, refrigerant and vulnerary[4, 7]. They are applied externally to skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, cuts etc[4, 7]. A mouthwash made from the leaves helps to relieve toothache and a distilled water is a good eyewash[7]. The seeds are demulcent and laxative[4, 7]. Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes[238]. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds[238].

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Fungicide

The leaves are a cure for blight on fruit trees[14]. An important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies[30]. The flowers are sweetly scented[245]. Dynamic accumulator.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.

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All these three plantain species are rosette-forming perennials with several leafless inflorescence spikes bearing tiny tubular flowers. Along with Plantago maritima and P. coronopus (see our previous blog) all are native to the British Isles.

The maps below show that Plantago major, the greater plantain, and Plantago lanceolata, the ribwort plantain occur in almost every hectad (10 km square) in the UK, while P. media, the hoary plantain, is relatively rare in Scotland. All species grow in pastures and waste places, particularly in anthropogenic habitats. All three are also native throughout Europe, while P. lanceolata and P. major are cosmopolitan, occurring as alien weeds in every continent on Earth, except Antarctica. P. major was brought to the US by European settlers and is thought to have been already well established in the seventeenth century.

The distribution map for P. media indicates that it becomes increasingly rare towards North and West of Scotland. It could also be that it favours higher pH, particularly chalky soils which are rare in Scotland. Alternatively, it may be limited by lower summer temperatures. Its presence in East Lothian and along the River Tweed, where there is a comparatively high level of summer sunshine, might support that explanation. It will be interesting to see whether we will be seeing more of it as the climate warms.

P. lanceolata and P. major are easily distinguished from one another: P. lanceolata has a ridged flower stem (scape) and shorter flower spikes, whereas P. major has much broader leaves with clearly discernible petioles. P. media, usually distinguished by its short petioles, hoary pubescence and longer filaments, can be confused with P. major, especially in the vegetative state. It is hoary (covered with greyish short hairs) as the name implies, but then P. major can also be pubescent, and its petioles can vary in length. The differences are blurred by the fact that all three species are highly variable, both by nature (genetic differences) and nurture (plasticity).

Pollution can also affect Plantago species in different, often weird ways. On a lockdown walk in the Edinburgh area, I was amazed to see very peculiar fasciated flower heads on P. lanceolata (see below). Chris Jeffree found different oddities: one with short, sedge-like flowers, and another plant bearing shoots up the flower stem (see below). The Oxford University website suggests the cause as sub-lethal doses of herbicide runoff, while others suggest genetic mutation or viral or bacterial attack. We have no idea what caused the deformations in the examples we found.

All three species which are being discussed in this blog have a long history of human use both in native and introduced ranges, but it is clearly best to harvest them from unpolluted sites. Herbalists still use them for wounds, to staunch blood, to pull tissues together or to help expel infection or venom. If you cut a finger while out walking, P. lanceolata, which conveniently comes with strap-like leaves, can be wrapped round the cut like a make-shift plaster.

P. lanceolata is equally effective, for the very same uses, but in addition contains cinnamic acid and anthocyanins, which are effective as cytotoxins and for anti-parasite activity. Roots, leaves and flowers are used (Abate et al, 2022). Another source reports the use of the plant as an anti-fertility agent (Pramanik and Rayhaudhuri, 1997). P. media has been less well studied for its potential uses, but a recent study by Fierascu et al (2021) has found it to be equally constituent rich.

Abate, L., Bachheti, R.K., Tadesse, M.G., and Bachheti, A. (2022). Ethnobotanical uses, chemical constituents and application of Plantago lanceolata L. Journal of Chemistry: Phytochemistry, Ethnopharmacology, and Bioavailability of Medicinal Plants.

Plantago mediaL.Plantaginaceae

The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

function toggle_vis() var ele = document.getElementById('synonyms');var val = ele.className;var eletext = document.getElementById('syn_text');var measure = document.querySelector('#measurement');if (val == 'synhid') ele.className = "synshown";ele.style.height = measure.clientHeight+'px';eletext.innerHTML = "- Synonyms" else ele.className = "synhid";ele.style.height = "0";eletext.innerHTML = "+ Synonyms"+ SynonymsCommon Name: Hoary PlantainNo Image.function changeThumbnail(ele, value, value2) var pic = document.getElementById('PIC');var a = document.getElementById('A_PIC');a.href = a.href.split("#")[0] + "#"+value2;pic.src = value;document.querySelectorAll(".caption")[0].innerHTML = ele.nextSibling.nextSibling.innerHTML;return false;General InformationPlantago media is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.10 metres tall.

It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known HazardsNone known

Botanical References17TitleFlora of the British Isles.Publication AuthorClapham, Tutin and Warburg.PublisherCambridge University PressYear1962ISBN-DescriptionA very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures., 200TitleThe New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.Publication AuthorHuxley. A.PublisherMacMillan PressYear1992ISBN0-333-47494-5DescriptionExcellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

RangeSouthern Europe, including Britain, to temperate Asia.

HabitatFields, meadows and lawns[7TitleEncyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.Publication AuthorChiej. R.PublisherMacDonaldYear1984ISBN0-356-10541-5DescriptionCovers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.]. A common weed of lawns and cultivated land, especially on dry or calcareous soils[1TitleRHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956Publication AuthorF. Chittendon.PublisherOxford University PressYear1951ISBN-DescriptionComprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).].

PropertiesEdibility RatingMedicinal RatingHabitPerennialHeight0.10 mPollinatorsWind, Flies, Beetles, beesSelf-fertileYesCultivation StatusWildCultivation DetailsSucceeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[200TitleThe New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.Publication AuthorHuxley. A.PublisherMacMillan PressYear1992ISBN0-333-47494-5DescriptionExcellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.].

Grows well in the spring meadow[24TitleMaking a Wildlife Garden.Publication AuthorBaines. C.Publisher Year ISBN DescriptionFairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.].

An important food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterflies[30TitleButterflies and Moths in Britain and Europe.Publication AuthorCarter D.PublisherPanYear1982ISBN0-330-26642-xDescriptionAn excellent book on Lepidoptera, it also lists their favourite food plants.].

The flowers are sweetly scented[245TitleScented Flora of the World.Publication AuthorGenders. R.PublisherRobert Hale. London.Year1994ISBN0-7090-5440-8DescriptionAn excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.].

Edible UsesYoung leaves - raw or cooked[7TitleEncyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.Publication AuthorChiej. R.PublisherMacDonaldYear1984ISBN0-356-10541-5DescriptionCovers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.]. The very young leaves have a fairly mild flavour but with a slight bitterness[KTitlePlants for a FutureAuthorKen Fern DescriptionNotes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.]. Used in salads before they become tough[7TitleEncyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.Publication AuthorChiej. R.PublisherMacDonaldYear1984ISBN0-356-10541-5DescriptionCovers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.].

The inflorescence is sweet and is sucked by children[177TitlePlants for Human Consumption.Publication AuthorKunkel. G.PublisherKoeltz Scientific BooksYear1984ISBN3874292169DescriptionAn excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts., 183TitleCornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.Publication AuthorFacciola. S.PublisherKampong PublicationsYear1990ISBN0-9628087-0-9DescriptionExcellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.].

MedicinalThe leaves, flowering stems and roots are somewhat astringent, deobstruent, depurative, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic, refrigerant and vulnerary[4TitleA Modern Herbal.Publication AuthorGrieve.PublisherPenguinYear1984ISBN0-14-046-440-9DescriptionNot so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants., 7TitleEncyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.Publication AuthorChiej. R.PublisherMacDonaldYear1984ISBN0-356-10541-5DescriptionCovers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.]. They are applied externally to skin inflammations, malignant ulcers, cuts etc[4TitleA Modern Herbal.Publication AuthorGrieve.PublisherPenguinYear1984ISBN0-14-046-440-9DescriptionNot so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants., 7TitleEncyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.Publication AuthorChiej. R.PublisherMacDonaldYear1984ISBN0-356-10541-5DescriptionCovers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.]. A mouthwash made from the leaves helps to relieve toothache and a distilled water is a good eyewash[7TitleEncyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.Publication AuthorChiej. R.PublisherMacDonaldYear1984ISBN0-356-10541-5DescriptionCovers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.].

The seeds are demulcent and laxative[4TitleA Modern Herbal.Publication AuthorGrieve.PublisherPenguinYear1984ISBN0-14-046-440-9DescriptionNot so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants., 7TitleEncyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.Publication AuthorChiej. R.PublisherMacDonaldYear1984ISBN0-356-10541-5DescriptionCovers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.].

Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes[238TitleEncyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.Publication AuthorBown. D.PublisherDorling Kindersley, London.Year1995ISBN0-7513-020-31DescriptionA very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.]. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds[238TitleEncyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.Publication AuthorBown. D.PublisherDorling Kindersley, London.Year1995ISBN0-7513-020-31DescriptionA very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.].

Other UsesThe leaves are a cure for blight on fruit trees[14TitleComplete Guide to Herbs.Publication AuthorHoltom. J. and Hylton. W.PublisherRodale PressYear1979ISBN0-87857-262-7DescriptionA good herbal.].

PropagationSeed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.

Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2024-07-28. function validate_form() Add a Comment:If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

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