Plantago major L.

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

chiracru, chiracu, llantén

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 100 - 2600 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb.

Conservation

Least concern.

Distribution

Naturalised in Colombia.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/168960/1257878

Conservation

LC - least concern

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Naturalizada en Colombia; Alt. 100 - 2600 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba

Conservation

Preocupación Menor

Plantaginaceae, G. Lehmann. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb, very variable, usually robust, glabrous or pubescent, growing with a short straight erect stem, with numerous adventitious roots.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves in a basal rosette spirally arranged, petiolate; lamina (1.5) 5–30 (40) × (0.5) 3–10 (17) cm., ovate to elliptic or rarely subcircular, entire sinuate or irregularly dentate, 3–9-veined at the base, usually glabrous or rarely pubescent, with the apex rounded to subobtuse, abruptly narrowed into the petiole; petiole 3–38 cm. long, usually as long as the lamina or shorter, cauliculate, flexible, glabrous or rarely pubescent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape

Scape (1) 7–15 (47) cm. long, 1–4 mm. in diam., erect or ascending, striate, glabrous or sometimes with short, appressed or ascending hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence spicate, the spikes nearly always cylindrical, almost invariably simple, (0.5) 10–15 (70) cm. long, 3–8 mm. in diam.; flowers densely to loosely arranged.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts 1–2 (2.5) mm. long, ovate, glabrous, midrib distinct.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals 1.5–2 (2.5) mm. long, almost boat-shaped, usually equal, glabrous, green with narrow scarious margins, midrib prominent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla tube c. 2 mm. long, glabrous; lobes 1–1.25 mm. long, lanceolate to ovate or narrowly triangular, acute to subacute, glabrous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Stamens 2–3 mm. long, exserted; anthers at first lilac, later whitish or yellowish.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary globose; pistil longer than the flower, hairy.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule 2–3 (5) mm. long, ovoid to globose or subconical, (3) 8–16 (34) seeded.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 1–1.7 mm. long, ellipsoid or ellipsoid-trigonous, with the ventral side more convex than the dorsal.

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herb, acaulous, (10–)20–40(–70) cm tall with a short rootstock and many fibrous roots

Morphology Leaves

Leaves large, elliptic-ovate to orbicular-ovate, (5–)10–25(–40) × (1–) 4–10 (–20) cm, base tapering into petiole about as long as lamina, apex rounded, margins entire or irregularly dentate or sinuate-dentate, strongly 5–9-veined, glabrous or rough with sparse minute hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape

Scape erect, ascending or arcuate, equal to leaves or shorter, pilose with sparse minute soft hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Spike dense or lax, linear or linear-cylindrical, (8–)5–30(–50) cm; bract ovate, as long as or usually shorter than calyx, 1–2 mm, along midrib herbaceous and slightly keeled, scarious at margins, entire, obtuse, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Sepals ovate-elliptic to orbicular, 1.5– 2.5 mm, with a distinct midrib, margins scarious, obtuse, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla greenish or yellowish, lobes ovate, 0.5–1 mm long, obtuse or acute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule longer than calyx, globose or conical, tapering above, 2-celled with 4–30 seeds

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds angular, smooth.

Ecology

In wet shaded places in farms and orchards, muddy places amongst rocks, near banks of shallow ponds and streams, in rich humus soil and on rich soil with limestone in upland forests; alt.: 150–900m

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting: Mar.–Aug.

Distribution

Throughout Iraq except in the desert and plateau region; found in the upper plains and foothills and the alluvial plains. Europe to Siberia, from the Mediterranean region, Sinai, Arabian Peninsula to Iran and India; naturalized in N America and many other parts of the world.

Vernacular

BIZIR DINBIL (recorded by Blakelock, loc.cit.); TARAQUZ (recorded on label by Guest).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

19.10% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Barclay & Earle, 1974)

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean. Elevation range: 100–2600 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Putumayo, Valle del Cauca.

Habit

Herb.

Conservation

IUCN Red List Assessment (2021): LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, desert, artificial - terrestrial.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Use

A species of some economic value whose seeds and leaves are used medicinally as a laxative and a coolant; also used for application on boils. Several subspecific ranks were recognized in the original manuscript based mainly on leaf characters. I found it difficult to assign every collection to the subspecific rank recognized as many intermediates exist. The species is best treated as a single polymorphic species. The var., subvar. and f. are listed in synonymy.

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Environmental

Environmental uses.

Use Gene Sources

Used as gene sources.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.