Plantago major L. Plantago intermedia Gilib. Plantago asiatica auct. non L. Plantago halophila E.P. Bicknell Plantago major L. var. asiatica auct. non (L.) Decne. Plantago major L. var. intermedia (DC.) Pilg. Plantago major L. ssp. intermedia (DC.) Arcang. Plantago major L. var. pachyphylla Pilg. Plantago major L. var. pilgeri Domin Plantago major L. var. scopulorum Fr. & Broberg Common plantain
This native of much of Europe and Asia has since spread worldwide, where it is a very common weed. Native americans, observing it for the first time after Europeans came to the Americas, called it “white man’s footprint” or “Englishman’s foot.” Identification: Plants have a rosette of low-lying oval leaves, each 1¾-8" (5-20 cm) long and 1½-3½" (4-9 cm) wide. It produces stalks 6-18" (15-45 cm) tall, with inconspicuous greenish white flowers along the entire length. The tall stalks are the most noticeable feature of the plant. The flowers become small green seedpods about ⅛" (3.2 mm) long, containing 10-20 tiny seeds. Plantain grows in virtually any soil, inhabiting spaces no sensible plant would dare approach, such as heavily trodden sand parking lots. Edibility: The young leaves are edible. Remove the fibrous strands before using them on salads. Blanching (brief immersion in boiling water) softens them a bit. Online References:
Plantago major on kingdomPlantae.net Plantago major on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants Plantago major on ipm.ucanr.edu Plantago major on Wikipedia Plantago major on Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness Plantago major at the Oregon Flora Image Project Plantago major on the Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide Plantago major on SEINet—the Southwest Environmental Information Network Plantago major on eFloras 7/28/2009 · Near Nashua River Boat Ramp, Groton, Massachusetts 6/22/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts 8/1/2009 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine Plantago major description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020. © FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved. |
6/1/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts 7/29/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts Located beside saltwater, this may be the intermedia subspecies. · 9/18/2016 · Deer Isle, at Water’s Edge Located beside saltwater, this may be the intermedia subspecies. · 9/18/2016 · Deer Isle, at Water’s Edge 9/10/2014 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts Range:
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