“Let food be
thy medicine and medicine be thy food” - Hippocrates
Plantago, Plantain
All wild
plants must be regarded as inedible when not accompanied by an
appropriately qualified professional.
This page
is about plantago often known as plantain, Plantago is the name of the plant
genus. There is
also another totally unrelated plant called plantain which is more like
a banana.
There are
some 200 varieties of plantago found growing wild all over the world. In
the UK it is a common weed, frequently found growing in lawns, cracks in pavings, and low cut fields.
The
psyllium husks that are often used in cleanse diets come from the seeds
of a plantago called plantago ovata. Psyllium husks absorb water and
add bulk.
In the UK
the
plantain variety plantago major would be a typical example of what most
people would identify as a plantain. This plant
is characterised by its low spreading, smooth, broad leaves, maybe 5 or 6 inches
across, radiating in a rosette like manner from the centre. The leaves
have parallel veins. The flowers are candle like structures.
The leaves
are edible. It's best to pick the younger fresh leaves, the older leaves
develop a more pronounced vein structure and are coarser.
The
plantain variety, plantago virginica, has a rosette of narrower longer
leaves. This is shown in Green Deane's video clip.
Links
This is a definitive site for wild food foraging
especially for North America. Eat The Weeds (with Green Deane)
(and other things, too)
