PLANTAGO

one of three genera in the family Plantaginaceae (order Plantaginales) with about 265 species. The small plants usually have a dense tuft of basal leaves and long, leafless stalks bearing a terminal spike of small flowers. The greater plantain (Plantago major) provides seed spikes for bird food. Ribwort and hoary plantain (P. lanceolata and P. media, respectively) are troublesome weeds. By contrast, psyllium and P. ovata have been useful in medical science; they produce mucilaginous seeds, which have been used, for example, in laxative preparations known as psyllium, ispaghul, or spogel seeds.