Greater plantain (Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque)

Greater plantain

Plantago major

Summary ⁷

Plantago major, commonly known as broadleaf plantain or great plantain, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is native to most of Europe and northern and central Asia, but has been introduced to many other parts of the world including New Mexico.

Botanical Information ⁸

The greater plantain, also known as common, broadleaf, buckhorn, and rippleseed plantain, is an annual or biennial herb with the scientific name of Plantago major. It has a green ovate leaves that grow in a basal rosette, meaning the leaves emerge from a central location close to the ground. The leaves can grow to about six inches long and four inches wide. The whole plant can grow about six to eighteen inches tall. It has a long spike inflorescence and the flower itself is only about two millimeters long. The flower is green and white and can sometimes be purple at the very tip. The flowers usually blooms in early summer to late fall.

Ecological Information ⁹

Greater plantain was introduced to the United States by Puritan colonizers. It is sometimes considered a weed type of plant because it does so well in a variety of conditions, although it requires the presence of moisture and sunshine. Its preferred habitat is mostly in wetlands, such as meadows, fields, near banks, but it can also be found in backyards, in parking lots, or throughout parks in areas that receive a significant amount of moisture or where water would collect like along roadsides or fence lines.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

The greater plantain is edible and it is also used for medicine. It has been used for a variety of ailments by the native people who inhabited this land. The Cherokee would apply a poultice of the leaf to burns. The Shoshone made a decoction of the root as a gastrointestinal aid. The Laguna used the young leaves for food. (Note: Ethnographic reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.) According to Michael Moore, the plant should be used fresh, though the juice from the leaves can be frozen or a powder from the dried leaf can be mixed with water (although it will be less potent). It is one of the best insect bite remedies. If you chew on one of the leaves and then apply it to a bite as soon as possible, the drawing effects from plantain helps to remove the poison that makes bites itch. It is soothing both externally and internally to hot, irritated tissue. A cold infusion or ideally the juice squeezed from the leaves, should be utilized for taking the medicine internally. It has been successful in treating bladder inflammation, intestinal inflammation from dysentery and stomach ulcers.

References ¹⁰

Bosque Field Guide
Cartron, Lightfoot, Mygatt, Brantley, Lowrey. (2008). A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. (p. 92). New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press.

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (2021, 7 25). Plantago major http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/3001/

Moore, Michael. (2003). Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. (p.200). Santa Fe, New Mexico. Museum of New Mexico Press.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major

About the Author ⁹

Student author(s)*: DeAnna from Menaul High School

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

(c) M.M. R, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/46774986@N02/6010531299
(c) Bodo Nuñez Oberg, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bodo Nuñez Oberg
(c) Eric Keith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Eric Keith
(c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/6946471611/
(c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/36648662995/
(c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/41675176830/
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) lesmiley, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) lesmiley, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Flower	white
Type	herb
Uses	edible, medicinal

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