Image listed at
Kurt Stüber's Online Library
Actual Images from
Project Runeberg

PLANTAIN

Latin Name: Plantago major, Plantago lancelote
Family: Plantaginaceae
Height: 15-30cm

Both Greater and Lesser Plantain make a valuable addition to the green food diet of rabbits and guinea pigs. They are a rich source of vitamins and minerals when fed fresh and are valuable healing plants for a range of conditions used both internally and externally. In Germany, plantain is the herb of choice for scouring. Anecdotally, a poultice of plantain mixed with human saliva is said to draw out poisons from insect bites.

Psyllium is the name given to plantain seeds and husk and is used as both a laxative and to combat diarrhoea. The mucilage produced when the seeds are soaked in water has the ability to absorb toxins from the large bowel in humans. Used externally, a poultice of psyllium in calendula extract is used to draw out infection from boils, abscesses and whitlows.

Constituents: Glycosides including aucubin; mucilage; cholergenic, ursolic and silicic acids; flavanoids including apigenin, luteolin, scutellarin and baicalein; tannins; inorganic fumaric and benzoic acids.

Actions: Expectorant, demulcent, astringent, and diuretic.

Sources:

Plantain (US/Canada) Plantain (International) from Kalyx US

Organic Plantain  & Plantain Leaf Powder (International) from Kalyx US

Plantain is included in the Galen's Garden's Hedgerow Herbs blend of 20 different herbs and wild plants.

Plantain is an ingredient in the Galen's Garden's Fruits of the Forest treat for chinchillas.