Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major)
Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

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(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 01) Broadleaf plantain is a native of Europe and northern and central Asia, and has since spead around the world. It is also known as white man's foot, or greater plantain. Broadleaf plantain is a member of the Plantaginaceae family.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 02) Broadleaf plantain have a rosette of oval shaped leaves that can grow to lengths of 8 inches, and they have very pronounced veins that run the length of the leaf. It can be found along roadsides, in lawns, in fields, in pavement cracks, and in areas of human disturbed soils.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 02a) The flowers and fruit of the broadleaf plantain grow in long densely packed spikes that can have lengths of nearly 15 cm. or 6 inches. The spike on the right is just in the early bud stage, but the spike on the left has swelling buds a few of which are starting to open. Each tiny bud opens to flowers, each of which has 4 stamens and 1 pistil.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 03) This is another photo of a broadleaf plantain that it mostly in the shade. Broadleaf plantain are a perennial herbaceous plant that was wildly used for its medicinal properties. It is also highly nutricious; its tender young leaves can be eaten raw, and the older stringier leaves can be cooked like other greens. The leaves of the broadleaf plantain are high in calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 04) In this photo, we can see broadleaf plantain growing up from a crack in the pavement. Plantain is pollenated primarily by wind, and each plant can produce up to 20,000 tiny seeds. The common name, "white man's foot, or footprint" comes from Native Americans who noticed that this plant grow wherever white settlers had been.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 04a) If we look closely at the base of the broadleaf plantain, we can see that the new growth leaves develop from the center of the leaf rosette, and the fruited spikes (of which there can be several) grow from the sides of the leaf rosette, and we can also see two other plants sprouting up in close proximity to the larger plant, one above and one to the right.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 05) This is another look at the broadleaf plantain growing up through a crack in the pavement. These plants will thrive in places where other plants won't even grow.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 05a) In this closer look at the broadleaf plantain, we can see that the veins in the leaf follow the curvature of the margin or outer edge of the leaves, which is also one of the ways of identifying this plant. The flowering spikes on this broadleaf plantain are in various stages of development; we can see the green buds and the flowers opening on the right side of the photo and also some going to seed, as in the center of the photo.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 06) This is another look at the plantain growing up through the crack in the pavement.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 07) On the upper leaf of the featured broadleaf plantain is what we believe is part of a broken off flower spike that has gone to seed.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 08) This is another look at the broadleaf plantain growing up through the crack in the pavement.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 09) In this photo of the broadleaf plantain, we can see some of the open and flowering buds.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 10) This is another look at some of the open and blooming buds of the broadleaf plantain.

(Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major) - 11) This is another photo of the broadleaf plantain growing up through a crack in the pavement.

| Wild Flowers of SHL: Photo Identification, Common Name, Scientific Name | Art and Photos |

lamb-right lamb-left Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation. Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither can we have lasting peace without love and compassion. It is our hope and prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a cruelty-free manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our environment.

Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major)
Wild Flowers of Sleepy Hollow Lake From All-Creatures.org Art and Photo Journals and Galleries Directory

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Plantain, Broadleaf (Plantago major)
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