The image, above, shows the full greater plantain plant(Plantago major), showing the whole plant with immature
seeds, right. The left hand panels show the immature plant, top
(when it is most palatable), the plant in flower, centre and the
plant with mature seeds, bottom..
| Common Name: Greater Plantain |
| Scientific Name: Plantago major |
| Other Names: Broadleaf Plantain, Broad-leaved Plantain, Cart Track Plant, Dooryard Plantain, Greater Plantago, Healing Blade, Hen Plant, Lambs Foot, Roadweed, Roundleaf Plantain, Waybread, Wayside Plantain, White Man's Foot |
| Family: Plantaginaceae |
| Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, to northern and central Asia |
Physical Characteristics
Plantago major is a hardy Perennial plant, growing to 10cm (4 in) by 20cm (8 in) in size. It is hardy to zone 5 and is not frost tender. The plant flowers from May to September and seeds ripen from July to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite and are wind pollinated. The plant is self-fertile.
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| Edible Parts: Leaves, Seeds, Roots |
 Edibility Rating: 2 
|
 Known Hazards: High doses may cause a fall in blood pressure and diarrhoea. In those susceptible it may possibly cause allergic contact dermatitis. Patients with intestinal obstructions or abdominal discomfort should avoid this plant, particularly the seeds.
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Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Wild Food guide to Greater Plantain along with all the Greater Plantain containing recipes presented on this site, with 0 recipes in total.
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Greater Plantain as a major wild food ingredient.
Greater Plantain, Plantago major (also known as: Broadleaf Plantain, Broad-leaved Plantain, Cart Track Plant, Dooryard Plantain, Greater Plantago, Healing Blade, Hen Plant, Lambs Foot, Roadweed, Roundleaf Plantain, Waybread, Wayside Plantain, White Man's Foot) is a species of genus Plantago, a member of the Plantaginaceae family which is native to most of Europe and northern and central Asia. It is also a common weed that's widely naturalized to much of the remainder of the world. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with a rosette of leaves 15–30 cm diameter. Each leaf is oval, 5–20 cm long and 4–9 cm broad, rarely up to 30 cm long and 17 cm broad, with an acute apex and a smooth margin; there are five to nine conspicuous veins. The flowers are small, greenish-brown with purple stamens, produced in a dense spike 5-15 cm long on top of a stem 13-15 cm tall (rarely to 70 cm tall).
It grows better than most other plants in compacted soils, and is abundant beside paths, roadsides, and other areas with frequent soil compaction. It is also common in grasslands and as a weed in crops. It is wind-pollinated, and propagates primarily by seeds, which are held on the long, narrow spikes which rise well above the foliage. The leaves are edible and are traditionally used in herbal medicine, but can be somewhat tough. The taste is that of very bitter salad greens with a lingering aftertaste like spinach. Young leaves are recommended as they are more tender, but are fiddly to handle as the stringy midribs need to be removed before they are cooked. The leaves, when dried, make a good tea. There is a Chinese cultivar that has far more palatable leaves. Young leaves, if blanched first in salted water, can be chopped and added to salads. The older leaves, once blanched in salted water, can be chopped and added to stews.
The seeds, which are borne on spikes, and which ripen in the autumn are also edible. They can be added raw to oatmeal or muesli and can be ground into a flour or mixed with dock seeds to form a flour (the seeds are rich in vitamin B). The seeds also contain a mucilaginous compound which is released when they are soaked in water. Because of this, the mature seeds can be used as a substitute for sago.
[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Cornish recipes added to this site.
These recipes, all contain Greater Plantain as a major wild food ingredient.
Greater Plantain, Plantago major (also known as: Broadleaf Plantain, Broad-leaved Plantain, Cart Track Plant, Dooryard Plantain, Greater Plantago, Healing Blade, Hen Plant, Lambs Foot, Roadweed, Roundleaf Plantain, Waybread, Wayside Plantain, White Man's Foot) is a species of genus Plantago, a member of the Plantaginaceae family which is native to most of Europe and northern and central Asia. It is also a common weed that's widely naturalized to much of the remainder of the world. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with a rosette of leaves 15–30 cm diameter. Each leaf is oval, 5–20 cm long and 4–9 cm broad, rarely up to 30 cm long and 17 cm broad, with an acute apex and a smooth margin; there are five to nine conspicuous veins. The flowers are small, greenish-brown with purple stamens, produced in a dense spike 5-15 cm long on top of a stem 13-15 cm tall (rarely to 70 cm tall).
It grows better than most other plants in compacted soils, and is abundant beside paths, roadsides, and other areas with frequent soil compaction. It is also common in grasslands and as a weed in crops. It is wind-pollinated, and propagates primarily by seeds, which are held on the long, narrow spikes which rise well above the foliage. The leaves are edible and are traditionally used in herbal medicine, but can be somewhat tough. The taste is that of very bitter salad greens with a lingering aftertaste like spinach. Young leaves are recommended as they are more tender, but are fiddly to handle as the stringy midribs need to be removed before they are cooked. The leaves, when dried, make a good tea. There is a Chinese cultivar that has far more palatable leaves. Young leaves, if blanched first in salted water, can be chopped and added to salads. The older leaves, once blanched in salted water, can be chopped and added to stews.
The seeds, which are borne on spikes, and which ripen in the autumn are also edible. They can be added raw to oatmeal or muesli and can be ground into a flour or mixed with dock seeds to form a flour (the seeds are rich in vitamin B). The seeds also contain a mucilaginous compound which is released when they are soaked in water. Because of this, the mature seeds can be used as a substitute for sago.
References:
[1]. David Evans Notes from field observations, tastings and cookery experiments.[2]. Huxley, A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992
[3]. Tanaka, T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.
[4]. Lim T.K. Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants, Vols 1–8.
[5]. Thomas, G. S. Perennial Garden Plants
[6]. Milner, E. Trees of Britain and Ireland
[7]. Rose, F. & O'Reilly, C. The Wild Flower Key (Revised Edition) – How to identify wild plants, trees and shrubs in Britain and Ireland
[8]. Streeter, D. & Garrard, I. The Wild Flowers of the British Isles
[9]. Clapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G. & Moore, D.M. Flora of the British Isles
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[10]. Phillips, R. Mushrooms
[11]. Jordan, P. & Wheeler, S. The Complete Book of Mushrooms: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Edible Mushrooms
[12]. Bunker, F.; Brodie, J.A.; Maggs, C.A. & Bunker, A. Seaweeds of Britain and Ireland.
[13]. Facciola, S. Cornucopia — A Source Book of Edible Plants
The alphabetical list of all Greater Plantain recipes on this site follows, (limited to 100 recipes per page). There are 0 recipes in total:
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Page 1 of 1