246 Species in Genus Plantago

The Unassuming Plantago: A Closer Look

As a botanist, I’ve always been fascinated by the diversity and resilience of plant life. One genus that consistently captures my attention is Plantago from the Plantaginaceae family, more commonly known as plantains. These unassuming plants, often dismissed as mere weeds, possess a remarkable array of characteristics and uses that deserve closer examination.

A Genus of Diversity

Plantago is a large genus encompassing over 200 species distributed across the globe. These plants exhibit a wide range of forms, from the familiar broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) found in lawns and disturbed areas to the narrow-leaved varieties like Plantago lanceolata that thrive in meadows and roadsides. Some species, such as Plantago maritima, have adapted to saline environments and can be found growing along coastlines. This diversity in habitat and morphology speaks to the adaptability and resilience of the genus.

Species in Note

1. Plantago afra L.
2. Plantago africana Verdc.
3. Plantago akkensis Coss. & Murb.
4. Plantago albicans L.
5. Plantago algarbiensis Samp.
6. Plantago alismatifolia Pilg.
7. Plantago alopecurus Decne.
8. Plantago alpestris B.G.Briggs, Carolin & Pulley
9. Plantago alpina L.
10. Plantago altissima L.
11. Plantago amplexicaulis Cav.
12. Plantago anatolica Tutel & R.R.Mill
13. Plantago annua Ryding
14. Plantago antarctica Decne.
15. Plantago arachnoidea Schrenk ex Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
16. Plantago arborescens (Mirb.) Poir.
17. Plantago argentea Chaix
18. Plantago argentina Pilg.
19. Plantago argyrea E.Morris
20. Plantago × argyrostachys Borbás
21. Plantago aristata Michx.
22. Plantago asiatica L. Plant FAQs: Plantago Asiatica
23. Plantago asperrima Gand. ex Hervier
24. Plantago asphodeloides Svent.
25. Plantago atlantica Batt.
26. Plantago atrata Hoppe
27. Plantago aucklandica Hook.f.
28. Plantago aundensis P.Royen
29. Plantago australis Lam.
30. Plantago baltistanica H.Hartmann
31. Plantago barbata G.Forst.
32. Plantago bellardii All.
33. Plantago bellidioides Decne.
34. Plantago benisnassenii Romo, Stübing & Peris
35. Plantago berroi Pilg.
36. Plantago bismarckii Niederl.
37. Plantago bradei Pilg.
38. Plantago brasiliensis Sims
39. Plantago brownii F.Dietr.
40. Plantago buchtienii Pilg.
41. Plantago campestris Hassemer
42. Plantago camtschatica Link
43. Plantago canescens Adams
44. Plantago capillaris E.Mey. ex Decne.
45. Plantago caricina Decne.
46. Plantago carnosa Lam.
47. Plantago catharinea Decne.
48. Plantago cavaleriei H.Lév.
49. Plantago ciliata Desf.
50. Plantago cladarophylla B.G.Briggs, Carolin & Pulley
51. Plantago commersoniana Decne. & Barnéoud
52. Plantago cordata Lam.
53. Plantago cornuti Gouan
54. Plantago coronopus L.
55. Plantago corvensis Hassemer
56. Plantago crassifolia Forssk.
57. Plantago cretica L.
58. Plantago crypsoides Boiss.
59. Plantago cunninghamii Decne.
60. Plantago cylindrica Forssk.
61. Plantago cyrenaica E.A.Durand & Barratte
62. Plantago dardanae Rexhepi & D.Dimitrov
63. Plantago debilis R.Br.
64. Plantago densa (Pilg.) Rahn
65. Plantago depauperata Merr. & L.M.Perry
66. Plantago depressa Willd.
67. Plantago dielsiana Pilg.
68. Plantago drummondii Decne.
69. Plantago elongata Pursh
70. Plantago erecta E.Morris
71. Plantago eriopoda Torr.
72. Plantago euana Hürl.
73. Plantago euphratica Decne. ex Barnéoud
74. Plantago euryphylla B.G.Briggs, Carolin & Pulley
75. Plantago evacina Boiss.
76. Plantago exigua Murray
77. Plantago exilis Decne.
78. Plantago famarae Svent.
79. Plantago fengdouensis (Z.E.Chao & Yong Wang) Yong Wang & Z.Yu Li
80. Plantago fernandezia Bertero ex Barnéoud
81. Plantago firma Kunze ex Walp.
82. Plantago fischeri Engl.
83. Plantago floccosa Decne.
84. Plantago galapagensis Rahn
85. Plantago gaudichaudii Barnéoud
86. Plantago gentianoides Sm.
87. Plantago glabrata Hook.f.
88. Plantago glacialis B.G.Briggs, Carolin & Pulley
89. Plantago goudotiana Decne.
90. Plantago grandiflora Meyen
91. Plantago griffithii Decne.
92. Plantago guilleminiana Decne.
93. Plantago gunnii Hook.f.
94. Plantago hasskarlii Decne.
95. Plantago hatschbachiana Hassemer
96. Plantago hawaiensis (A.Gray) Pilg.
97. Plantago hedleyi Maiden
98. Plantago helleri Small
99. Plantago heterophylla Nutt.
100. Plantago himalaica Pilg.
101. Plantago hispida R.Br.
102. Plantago hispidula Ruiz & Pav.
103. Plantago hookeriana Fisch. & C.A.Mey.
104. Plantago humboldtiana Hassemer
105. Plantago incisa Hassk.
106. Plantago indica L.
107. Plantago johnstonii Pilg.
108. Plantago jujuyensis Rahn
109. Plantago jurtzevii (Tzvelev) Tzvelev
110. Plantago komarovii Pavlov
111. Plantago krascheninnikovii Ye.V.Serg.
112. Plantago lachnantha Bunge
113. Plantago lagocephala Bunge
114. Plantago lagopus L.
115. Plantago lamprophylla Pilg.
116. Plantago lanceolata L. Plant FAQs: Plantago Lanceolata – Ribwort Plantain
117. Plantago lanigera Hook.f.
118. Plantago laxiflora Decne.
119. Plantago leptostachys Hook.f.
120. Plantago leucophylla Decne.
121. Plantago libyca Bég. & A.Vacc.
122. Plantago limensis Pers.
123. Plantago linearis Kunth
124. Plantago litorea Phil.
125. Plantago loeflingii L.
126. Plantago longissima Decne.
127. Plantago lundborgii Sparre
128. Plantago macrocarpa Cham. & Schltdl.
129. Plantago maireana Hassemer
130. Plantago major L.
131. Plantago malato-belizii Lawalrée
132. Plantago maris-mortui Eig
133. Plantago maritima L.
134. Plantago mauritanica Boiss. & Reut.
135. Plantago maxima Juss. ex Jacq.
136. Plantago media L.
137. Plantago minuta Pall.
138. Plantago × mixta Domin
139. Plantago mohnikei Miq.
140. Plantago monanthos d’Urv.
141. Plantago monosperma Pourr.
142. Plantago monticola Decne.
143. Plantago montisdicksonii P.Royen
144. Plantago moorei Rahn
145. Plantago muelleri Pilg.
146. Plantago multiscapa B.G.Briggs
147. Plantago myosuros Lam.
148. Plantago napiformis (Rahn) Hassemer
149. Plantago nebularis Hassemer
150. Plantago nivalis Boiss.
151. Plantago nivea Kunth
152. Plantago notata Lag.
153. Plantago novae-zelandiae L.B.Moore
154. Plantago nubicola (Decne.) Rahn
155. Plantago nupera Menkins
156. Plantago obconica Sykes
157. Plantago orbignyana Steinh. ex Decne.
158. Plantago orzuiensis Mohsenz., Nazeri & Mirtadz.
159. Plantago ovata Forssk.
160. Plantago pachyneura Steud.
161. Plantago pachyphylla A.Gray
162. Plantago palmata Hook.f.
163. Plantago palustris L.R.Fraser & Vickery
164. Plantago papuana P.Royen
165. Plantago paradoxa Hook.f.
166. Plantago patagonica Jacq.
167. Plantago peloritana Lojac.
168. Plantago penantha Griseb.
169. Plantago pentasperma Hemsl.
170. Plantago perssonii Pilg.
171. Plantago phaeostoma Boiss. & Heldr.
172. Plantago picta Colenso
173. Plantago pilgeriana Hassemer
174. Plantago podlechii Akhani
175. Plantago polita Craven
176. Plantago polysperma Kar. & Kir.
177. Plantago popovii Tzvelev
178. Plantago pretoana (Rahn) Hassemer
179. Plantago princeps Cham. & Schltdl.
180. Plantago psammophila Agnew & Chal.-Kabi
181. Plantago pusilla Nutt.
182. Plantago pyrophila Villarroel & J.R.I.Wood
183. Plantago rahniana Hassemer & R.Trevis.
184. Plantago rancaguae Steud.
185. Plantago raoulii Decne.
186. Plantago rapensis F.Br.
187. Plantago remota Lam.
188. Plantago reniformis Beck
189. Plantago rhizoxylon Emb.
190. Plantago rhodosperma Decne.
191. Plantago rigida Kunth
192. Plantago robusta Roxb.
193. Plantago rugelii Decne. Plant FAQs: Plantago Rugelii
194. Plantago rupicola Pilg.
195. Plantago sabulosa Danin & Raus
196. Plantago salsa Pall.
197. Plantago schwarzenbergiana Schur
198. Plantago sempervirens Crantz
199. Plantago sempervivoides Dusén
200. Plantago sericea Ruiz & Pav.
201. Plantago serpentina All.
202. Plantago serraria L.
203. Plantago sharifii Rech.f. & Esfand.
204. Plantago sinaica (Barnéoud) Decne.
205. Plantago sparsiflora Michx.
206. Plantago spathulata Hook.f.
207. Plantago squarrosa Murray
208. Plantago stauntonii Reichardt
209. Plantago stenophylla Merr. & L.M.Perry
210. Plantago stocksii Boiss. ex Decne.
211. Plantago stricta Schousb.
212. Plantago subnuda Pilg.
213. Plantago subspathulata Pilg.
214. Plantago subulata L.
215. Plantago tacnensis Pilg.
216. Plantago tanalensis Baker
217. Plantago tandilensis (Pilg.) Rahn
218. Plantago tasmanica Hook.f.
219. Plantago tatarica Decne.
220. Plantago tehuelcha Speg.
221. Plantago tenuiflora Waldst. & Kit.
222. Plantago tenuipala (Rahn) Rahn
223. Plantago tolucensis Pilg.
224. Plantago tomentosa Lam.
225. Plantago triandra Berggr.
226. Plantago trichophora Merr. & L.M.Perry
227. Plantago trinitatis Rahn
228. Plantago truncata Cham. & Schltdl.
229. Plantago tubulosa Decne.
230. Plantago tunetana Murb.
231. Plantago turficola Rahn
232. Plantago turrifera B.G.Briggs, Carolin & Pulley
233. Plantago tweedyi A.Gray
234. Plantago udicola Meudt & Garn.-Jones
235. Plantago unibracteata Rahn
236. Plantago urvillei Opiz
237. Plantago varia R.Br.
238. Plantago veadeirensis Hassemer
239. Plantago ventanensis Pilg.
240. Plantago venturii Pilg.
241. Plantago virginica L.
242. Plantago webbii Barnéoud
243. Plantago weddelliana Decne.
244. Plantago weldenii Rchb.
245. Plantago wrightiana Decne.
246. Plantago zoellneriana Hassemer

Traditional Uses and Modern Applications

Plantains have a long history of use in traditional medicine. Their leaves are known for their astringent and anti-inflammatory properties and have been used to treat wounds, burns, and skin irritations. The seeds of some species, such as Plantago psyllium, are a rich source of mucilage, a soluble fiber that can help regulate digestion and lower cholesterol levels.

Modern research has confirmed many of the traditional uses of plantains and has also uncovered new potential applications. For example, studies have shown that plantains may be effective in treating coughs, bronchitis, and even allergies. The high fiber content of plantain seeds makes them a valuable addition to the diet, and they are often used in the production of dietary supplements and functional foods.

Ecological Importance

Beyond their medicinal and nutritional value, plantains also play an important role in the ecosystem. They are a valuable food source for many insects and animals, and their seeds are dispersed by a variety of means, including wind, water, and animals. Plantains are also known to improve soil health by increasing organic matter and nutrient availability.

Personal Reflections

I’ve always been drawn to the unassuming nature of plantains. They are often overlooked and dismissed as weeds, yet they possess a remarkable resilience and adaptability that allows them to thrive in a variety of environments. Their long history of use in traditional medicine and their potential for modern applications make them a valuable resource for both human health and the environment.

As I continue my work as a botanist, I am constantly amazed by the intricate connections between plants and people. Plantains, with their diverse uses and ecological importance, serve as a reminder of the valuable role that even the most unassuming plants can play in our lives.