Plantago arenaria Waldst. & Kit.

Scientific Name and Basic Growth Form

Plantago arenaria Waldst. & Kit. (also referred to as Plantago indica) is an annual herb with a taproot and an erect, hairy stem. Its leaves are arranged oppositely or in whorls of three to five, with elongated internodes between leaf clusters.

Glandular Pubescence

Glandular hairs (glandular pubescence) cover the stems, leaves, sepals, and inflorescences.

Leaf Shape and Base

The leaves are simple, linear or lanceolate in shape, with a base that runs down along the petiole.

Leaf Size and Margins

Leaf margins are entire or slightly toothed; mature leaves measure 2.5–5 cm (1.0–2.0 in) long and 1–3 mm wide.

Modified Leaf Bracts

Some leaves are modified into bracts 0.5 to 2 cm (0.2 to 0.8 in) long, with a pointed cuspidate apex and a round-ovate base.

Inflorescence Structure

This plant produces a densely flowered inflorescence.

Corolla and Calyx

Individual flowers have a hairless, brownish corolla, and a calyx made of elliptic to obovate sepals with prominent broad veins.

Stamen Characteristics

Stamens extend outward beyond the corolla; their anthers are yellow, ellipsoid, and 1.8–2.2 mm long.

Style and Floral Position

The stigma's style also extends well beyond the corolla. All floral parts are hypogynous, positioned above the ovary.

Fruit Contents

Fruits are capsules that each contain 2 seeds.

Seed Morphology

The seeds measure 2.5–2.8 mm, are black or blackish-brown, shiny, ellipsoid, and have a clear central groove on their inner face.

Native Range

This species is native to North Africa, most of Europe excluding the far north, and southwest Asia ranging from Jordan to Turkey and Iran, as well as western and central Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Naturalized Range

It has become widely naturalized in parts of Australia, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, and North America, and occurs more locally in South America.

Habitat Preferences

It grows most commonly in sandy habitats such as arid deserts and sandy beaches, and can also be found on roadsides and alongside railroad tracks.

Common Names and Cultivation

Its seeds, sold under the common names French psyllium or black psyllium, are cultivated for medicinal use alongside other psyllium species such as P. ovata.

Medicinal Uses of Mucilage

Mucilage extracted from the seed coat is used as a laxative for constipation, and to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhea. Seed mucilage has also been reported to lower the risk of coronary heart disease.