Chinese plantain

Description

Plantago asiatica, is a self-fertile, perennial flowering plant of genus Plantago. It is in flower from July to August. The plant is native to East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, etc.). It grows really well in disturbed areas like roadsides or even dirt roads. This plant is a perennial herb that grows to 20–60 cm high, and has big roots. Its leaves, which gather on the ground, have oval blades and are 11–12 cm long and 4–9 cm wide, with obtuse apex and base, and 5 smooth main veins from the leaf base. The petioles are almost the same length as the blades. The plant has erect spikes of 20–45 cm high, with many small, white, hairless flowers, and oval sepals that are 1.8–2 cm long, tube corolla with 5 oval lobes, and 4 stamens. The fruits are oval-shaped pyxis of 3.5 mm high and 2 mm wide, which have 4 black seeds inside that are up to 1.8 mm long