Family: Plantaginaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 112 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Plantago
Vegetable: True
Observations: Temp. Eurasia to Arabian Pen., Macaronesia, N. & S. Africa
Description
The Common plantain, scientifically known as Plantago major, is a versatile and hardy perennial plant that belongs to the family Plantaginaceae. First described in 1753 by the botanist Carl Linnaeus in his seminal work “Species Plantarum,” this plant is widely recognized for its resilience and broad distribution across various regions of the globe.
Native to temperate areas of Eurasia, the Common plantain has successfully spread to other regions including the Arabian Peninsula, Macaronesia, as well as northern and southern parts of Africa. Its adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions contributes to its ubiquitous presence in gardens, roadsides, lawns, and other disturbed habitats.
The plantain’s distinctive broad, oval leaves grow in a rosette close to the ground, often forming dense clumps. These leaves have prominent parallel veins, giving them a somewhat ribbed texture. During the growing season, the plant produces slender, erect flower spikes that bear tiny, inconspicuous flowers, which later develop into small, dry fruit capsules containing numerous seeds.
Beyond its botanical interest, the Common plantain is valued for its medicinal properties. Traditional medicine systems have utilized various parts of the plant to treat a range of ailments, from skin wounds and insect bites to respiratory issues and digestive problems. The leaves, in particular, are known for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and healing qualities.
In addition to its medicinal uses, the Common plantain is sometimes consumed as food. Young leaves can be eaten raw in salads, or cooked as a leafy green, while seeds can be ground into flour or used as dietary fiber supplements.
Despite being sometimes considered a weed due to its prolific nature, the Common plantain continues to be a plant of significant ecological and human value. Its robust presence in diverse regions highlights its remarkable adaptability and enduring utility.
Common Names
Deu: breit-wegerich, breitwegerich, großer wegerich
Eng: broadleaf plantain, buckhorn plantain, common plantain, great plantain, greater plantain, large plantain, plantain, rippleseed plantain, broad-leaved plantain, grand plantain, nipple-seed plantain, ratstail plantain, ripple-seed plantain, whiteman’s-foot
Dan: glat vejbred
Nld: getande weegbree en grote weegbree, grote + getande weegbree, grote en getande weegbree
Fra: grand plantain, plantain majeur, plantain à larges feuilles
Swe: groblad, piharatamo
Nob: groblad
Nno: groblad
Nor: groblad, grore-blaake, groreblad
Ara: lisan al-hamal
Spa: llantén, llantén común, llantén major
Fin: piharatamo
Por: plantagem, tanchagem, tanchagem-maior
Sme: šilljolasta
Cym: cabaits y llawr, dail llydan y ffordd, dail llyriad, henllydan y ffordd, llwynfaidydd mawr, llydain y ffordd, llydan y ffordd, llyriad cynffon llygoden, llyriad mwyaf
En: Common plantain, Greater plantain, Large plantain, Plantain, Broadleaf plantain, Waybread, Buckhorn plantain, Great plantain, Rippleseed plantain, Ratstail Plantain, Broad-leaved plantain, Grand plantain, Nipple-seed plantain, Ripple-seed plantain, Whiteman’s-foot, Pilger’s plantain, Cart-track plant, Intermediate plantain, Thickleaf plantain, White-man’s-foot
Ar: Lisan al-hamal, لسان حمد (لِسان حَمَد)، لسان حمل ( لِسان حَمَل), مصاصه (مِصَّاصه)، لسان الكلب (لِسان الكَلب، لسان الكِلْب), وراق صابون
Ca: Plantatge de fulla ampla, Plantatge gros
Cs: Jitrocel větší
Da: Glat vejbred
Nl: Getande weegbree en grote weegbree, Grote + Getande weegbree, Grote en Getande weegbree, Grote Weegbree
Fi: Piharatamo
Fr: Grand plantain, Plantain majeur, Plantain à larges feuilles, Plantain à grandes feuilles, Plantain à bouquet, Plantain, Plantain intermédiaire
De: Breitwegerich, Breit-Wegerich, Großer Wegerich, Grosser Wegerich
He: לחך גדול
It: Piantaggine maggiore
Se: Šilljolasta, Govdalasta, Šilljohávvelasta
No: Groblad, Grore-blaake, Groreblad
Nb: Groblad
Nn: Groblad
Pt: Tanchagem-maior, Plantagem, Tanchagem
Pt-br: Lantana-maior
Ru: Podorožnik bol’šoj
Sk: Skorocel väčší
Es: Llantén, Llantén común, Llantén major, Llantén mayor, Kara llanten, Lanté, Lantén
Sv: Groblad, Piharatamo
Cy: Cabaits y Llawr, Dail Llydan y Ffordd, Dail Llyriad, Henllydan y Ffordd, Llwynfaidydd Mawr, Llydain y Ffordd, Llydan y Ffordd, Llyriad Cynffon Llygoden, Llyriad Mwyaf
Synonyms
- Plantago major subvar. pilosula (Merino)
- Plantago major subvar. contracta (Merino)
- Plantago major var. megastachya (Wallr.)
Distribution
- Afghanistan (native)
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Altay (native)
- Amur (native)
- Austria (native)
- Baleares (native)
- Baltic States (native)
- Belarus (native)
- Belgium (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Buryatiya (native)
- Canary Is. (native)
- Cape Provinces (native)
- Cape Verde (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- China North-Central (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Chita (native)
- Corse (native)
- Cyprus (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- Denmark (native)
- East Aegean Is. (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- Egypt (native)
- Finland (native)
- France (native)
- Free State (native)
- Føroyar (native)
- Germany (native)
- Great Britain (native)
- Greece (native)
- Hainan (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Inner Mongolia (native)
- Iran (native)
- Iraq (native)
- Ireland (native)
- Irkutsk (native)
- Italy (native)
- Japan (native)
- Kamchatka (native)
- Kazakhstan (native)
- Khabarovsk (native)
- Kirgizstan (native)
- Korea (native)
- Krasnoyarsk (native)
- Kriti (native)
- Krym (native)
- Kuril Is. (native)
- KwaZulu-Natal (native)
- Lebanon-Syria (native)
- Lesotho (native)
- Madeira (native)
- Magadan (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Mongolia (native)
- Morocco (native)
- Namibia (native)
- Nepal (native)
- Netherlands (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- North European Russi (native)
- Northern Provinces (native)
- Northwest European R (native)
- Norway (native)
- Oman (native)
- Pakistan (native)
- Palestine (native)
- Poland (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Primorye (native)
- Qinghai (native)
- Romania (native)
- Sakhalin (native)
- Sardegna (native)
- Saudi Arabia (native)
- Sicilia (native)
- Sinai (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Sweden (native)
- Switzerland (native)
- Tadzhikistan (native)
- Taiwan (native)
- Tibet (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Tunisia (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Turkmenistan (native)
- Tuva (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- Uzbekistan (native)
- West Himalaya (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Xinjiang (native)
- Yakutskiya (native)
- Yemen (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Alaska (introduced)
- Alberta (introduced)
- Aleutian Is. (introduced)
- Angola (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina Northwest (introduced)
- Argentina South (introduced)
- Arizona (introduced)
- Arkansas (introduced)
- Ascension (introduced)
- Assam (introduced)
- Azores (introduced)
- Bahamas (introduced)
- Belize (introduced)
- Bermuda (introduced)
- Bolivia (introduced)
- Brazil North (introduced)
- Brazil Northeast (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- Brazil West-Central (introduced)
- British Columbia (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Cambodia (introduced)
- Chagos Archipelago (introduced)
- Chile Central (introduced)
- Chile North (introduced)
- Chile South (introduced)
- Christmas I. (introduced)
- Colombia (introduced)
- Colorado (introduced)
- Connecticut (introduced)
- Cook Is. (introduced)
- Costa Rica (introduced)
- Cuba (introduced)
- Delaware (introduced)
- Desventurados Is. (introduced)
- District of Columbia (introduced)
- Dominican Republic (introduced)
- Easter Is. (introduced)
- El Salvador (introduced)
- Eritrea (introduced)
- Ethiopia (introduced)
- Fiji (introduced)
- Florida (introduced)
- French Guiana (introduced)
- Galápagos (introduced)
- Georgia (introduced)
- Greenland (introduced)
- Guatemala (introduced)
- Gulf of Guinea Is. (introduced)
- Guyana (introduced)
- Haiti (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- Honduras (introduced)
- Iceland (introduced)
- Idaho (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- Indiana (introduced)
- Iowa (introduced)
- Jamaica (introduced)
- Juan Fernández Is. (introduced)
- Kansas (introduced)
- Kentucky (introduced)
- Kenya (introduced)
- Labrador (introduced)
- Laos (introduced)
- Leeward Is. (introduced)
- Lesser Sunda Is. (introduced)
- Louisiana (introduced)
- Maine (introduced)
- Malaya (introduced)
- Manitoba (introduced)
- Marshall Is. (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Masachusettes (introduced)
- Mauritius (introduced)
- Mexico Central (introduced)
- Mexico Northeast (introduced)
- Mexico Northwest (introduced)
- Mexico Southwest (introduced)
- Michigan (introduced)
- Minnesota (introduced)
- Mississippi (introduced)
- Missouri (introduced)
- Montana (introduced)
- Myanmar (introduced)
- Nebraska (introduced)
- Nevada (introduced)
- New Brunswick (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- New Hampshire (introduced)
- New Jersey (introduced)
- New Mexico (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- Newfoundland (introduced)
- Nicaragua (introduced)
- Niue (introduced)
- Norfolk Is. (introduced)
- North Carolina (introduced)
- North Dakota (introduced)
- Northwest Territorie (introduced)
- Nova Scotia (introduced)
- Nunavut (introduced)
- Ohio (introduced)
- Oklahoma (introduced)
- Ontario (introduced)
- Oregon (introduced)
- Panamá (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Peru (introduced)
- Pitcairn Is. (introduced)
- Prince Edward I. (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Québec (introduced)
- Rhode I. (introduced)
- Samoa (introduced)
- Saskatchewan (introduced)
- Seychelles (introduced)
- Society Is. (introduced)
- South Carolina (introduced)
- South Dakota (introduced)
- Southwest Caribbean (introduced)
- St.Helena (introduced)
- Suriname (introduced)
- Tasmania (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Texas (introduced)
- Tonga (introduced)
- Trinidad-Tobago (introduced)
- Tristan da Cunha (introduced)
- Tuamotu (introduced)
- Tubuai Is. (introduced)
- Uruguay (introduced)
- Utah (introduced)
- Venezuela (introduced)
- Venezuelan Antilles (introduced)
- Vermont (introduced)
- Vietnam (introduced)
- Virginia (introduced)
- Washington (introduced)
- West Virginia (introduced)
- Windward Is. (introduced)
- Wisconsin (introduced)
- Wyoming (introduced)
- Yukon (introduced)
- Zambia (introduced)
- Zaïre (introduced)
- Zimbabwe (introduced)
Additional Images
Flower
Taken Aug 3, 2022 by Cahit Doğan (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 6, 2020 by AnnekeDrost (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 26, 2021 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 5, 2019 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 20, 2019 by lindsay moury (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Aug 11, 2021 by Marilyne Renou-Garcias (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 7, 2020 by gerard hortis (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 31, 2020 by Pl@ntNet (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 31, 2020 by luxmcwork (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Jul 5, 2019 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 25, 2022 by Monteiro Henrique (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 2, 2018 by Gaifém Luís (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 26, 2021 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Fruit
Taken Aug 18, 2021 by Yann B (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 3, 2021 by Caroline Champigny (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 14, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Jul 29, 2020 by mg515 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 2, 2020 by Bianca Legault (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 17, 2019 by Sonia Vazquez (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 7, 2021 by Pierre Boucheny (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 7, 2018 by angela (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Jul 31, 1874 by Tela Botanica − Herbier PONTARLIER-MARICHAL (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 30, 2020 by justin klamut (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 2, 2017 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 22, 2021 by Pierre-Adrien L (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 2, 2017 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3189767)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:321286-2)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Plantago major L.)
Specifications
Growth form: Single Crown
Growth habit: Forb/herb
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth
Ph maximum: 7.3
Ph minimum: 4.8
Light: 5
Atmospheric humidity: 5
Soil nutriments: 6