Description
Plantago media grows in damp grassy meadows up to an altitude of 2000 m. A slender stalk of between 5 to 50 cm develops from a basal rosette of finely-haired leaves. Delicate pink-white flowers are borne between May and September. P. media is hermaphrodite and is pollinated by wind or insects, particularly bees.
The plant is edible and has long maintained a reputation for medicinal effects as an astringent for treating wounds. In antiquity it was employed against toothache and eye infections. Archeological finds testify to its use during the Roman era in Britain. The seeds are a laxative.
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