English plantain

Plantago lanceolata is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names ribwort plantain, narrowleaf plantain, English plantain , ribleaf and lamb's tongue . It is a common weed of cultivated land. The plant is a rosette-forming perennial herb, with leafless, silky, hairy flower stems (10–40 cm or 3.9–15.7 in). The basal leaves are lanceolate spreading or erect, scarcely toothed with 3-5 strong parallel veins narrowed to a short petiole. The flower stalk is deeply furrowed, ending in an ovoid inflorescence of many small flowers each with a pointed bract. :248 Each flower can produce up to two seeds. Flowers 4 millimetres (0.16 in) (calyx green, corolla brownish), 4 bent back lobes with brown midribs and long white stamens. It is native to temperate Eurasia, widespread throughout the British Isles, but scarce on the most acidic soils (pH < 4.5). It is present and widespread in the Americas and Australia as an introduced species. Plantago lanceolata is native to Eurasia, but has been introduced to North America and many other parts of the world with suitable habitats. Considered to be an indicator of agriculture in pollen diagrams, P. lanceolata has been found in western Norway from the Early Neolithic onwards, something considered an indicator of grazing in that area. Plantago lanceolata is used frequently in herbal teas and other herbal remedies.A tea from the leaves is used as a highly effective cough medicine. In the traditional Austrian medicine Plantago lanceolata leaves have been used internally (as syrup or tea) or externally (fresh leaves) for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract, skin, insect bites, and infections. Plantago lanceolata contains phenylethanoids such as acteoside (verbascoside), cistanoside F, lavandulifolioside, plantamajoside and isoacteoside. It also contains the iridoid glycosides aucubin and catalpol. Plantago lanceolata, can live anywhere from very dry meadows to places similar to a rain forest. The mode of reproduction can vary among populations of P. lanceolata. Reproduction can either occur asexually via cloning or sexually, with the pollen being wind dispersed. In the populations that reproduce asexually via cloning, genetic variation is much lower than the populations that reproduce sexually.