Species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae
Plantago indica, commonly known as branched plantain, sand plantain, or black psyllium, is a flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, and is one of a few species in the Plantago genus under the common name psyllium.[3] The plant is native to parts of Africa, Europe, Russia, and Asia, and has been naturalized in many other areas such as Australia and North America.[4][5] The plant can be found mostly in dry inland areas, such as those that are sandy, and has also naturalized on roadsides and in meadows.[4][5] The plant is not used broadly as a food source, but has been cultivated for its seeds which serve a medicinal use as a laxative.[6]
Plantago arenaria subsp. orientalis (Soják) Greuter & Burdet
Plantago arenaria var. rossica (Tuzson) Lewalle
Plantago italica S.G.Gmel. ex Steud.
Plantago latifolia Wissjul.
Plantago psyllia St.-Lag.
Plantago psyllium L.
Plantago ramosa Asch.
Plantago ruthenica Adams ex Decne.
Plantago scabra Moench
Plantago scabra subsp. orientalis (Soják) Tzvelev
Psyllium annuum Thuill.
Psyllium arenarium (Waldst. & Kit.) Mirb.
Psyllium arenarium subsp. orientale (Soó) Soják
Psyllium indicum (L.) Mirb.
Psyllium indicum subsp. orientale Soják
Psyllium ramosum Gilib.
Psyllium scabrum (Moench) Holub
Psyllium scabrum subsp. orientale (Soó) Holub
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Description
Plantago indica is an annual herb with a taproot that has an erect stem with leaves that are usually opposite but sometimes in whorls of 3, and elongated internodes between leaf sets.[4][7] Glandular pubescence is found on the stems, leaves, sepals, and inflorescences.[4] The leaves are simple and have a base that is decurrent onto the petiole, an entire or slightly dentate edge, are linear or lanceolate in shape, and can reach 2.5-5cm long and 1-3mm wide.[4][7] Some leaves are modified into bracts between 0.5cm and 2cm which have a cuspidate apex and an orbicular-ovate base.[4] The plant has a densely flowered inflorescence with flowers that have a glabrous, brownish corolla and a calyx with broadly veined, elliptic and obovate sepals.[4][7] The stamens exsert above the corolla, and the anthers are yellow, ellipsoid, and 1.8-2.2mm in size.[4][7] The style of the stigma is also well exserted, and the floral parts are hypogynous but extend superior to the ovary.[4][5][7] The seeds are contained in capsules of 2. The seeds are 2.5-2.8 mm in size, black or blackish-brown, shiny, ellipsoid, and have a distinct central groove on the inner face.[4][7]
The seeds, known as French psyllium or black psyllium, are medicinally cultivated, along with other species under the psyllium common name, such as P. ovata, for use as a laxative for constipation and are also used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhea by extracting the mucilage from the seed coat.[6][10] The mucilage from the seeds has also been reported to lower the risk of coronary heart disease.[6][10]
Radford, Albert E.; Ahles; Bell (1964). Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. United States of America: The University of North Carolina Press. p.978. ISBN978-0-8078-1087-3.
Hanson, C.V.; Oelke, E.A.; Putnam, D.H.; Oplinger, E.S. (1992-06-01). "Psyllium". www.hort.purdue.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-10-25. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Plantago_arenaria, and is written by contributors.
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