Plantago media
Hoary plantain | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Lamiales |
Family: | Plantaginaceae |
Genus: | Plantago |
Species: | P. media
|
Binomial name | |
Plantago media |
Plantago media, known as the hoary plantain, is a species of
plantain, a starchy banana
.
Description
Plantago media grows in damp grassy meadows up to an altitude of 2000 m. A slender stalk of between 5 and 50 cm develops from a basal rosette of finely-haired leaves. Delicate pink-white flowers are borne between May and September. P. media is hermaphrodite and is pollinated by wind or insects, particularly bees.
Distribution and habitat
Plantago media is native to Eurasia. It is native to eastern England, but scarce in Scotland and Ireland. It is calcicole, characteristic of soils on chalk or limestone, growing in grassland, meadows, lawns and waste places.[1]: 248 [2]
Uses
The plant is edible. Archeological finds testify to its use[clarification needed] during the Roman era in Britain.[3]
References
- ISBN 978-1408179505.
- ISBN 978-185918-4783
- ^ "Plantago media". Archaeobotanical Computer Database (ABCD). Retrieved 2006-05-29.