Ribwort Plantain is a common weed of cultivated land. The plant is a
rosette-forming perennial herb, with leafless, silky, hairy flower stems
10-40 cm tall. The basal leaves are lanceshaped, spreading or erect,
scarcely-toothed, with 3-5 strong parallel veins, narrowed to a short stalk. Grouping leaf stalk is deeply furrowed, ending in an oblong inflorescence of many small flowers each with a pointed bract. Each flower
can produce up to two seeds. Flowers are 4 mm, calyx green, corolla
brownish, 4 bent back lobes with brown midribs. Long white stamens are the
most visible part of the flowers. This species is globally distributed in
Eurasia, introduced to North America. Within India, it is found in Jammu
and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and West Bengal, at
altitudes of 1500-2400 m. Flowering: April-October.
Medicinal uses: Leaves and roots used in cough, asthma and
other pulmonary diseases; leaves applied to wounds and sores; seeds
purgative.
Identification credit: Gurcharan Singh
Photographed in Jammu & Kashmir.
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The flower labeled Ribwort Plantain is ...