| Plantago maritima | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Plantago |
| Species: |
P. maritima
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| Binomial name | |
| Plantago maritima | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Plantago maritima, the sea plantain, seaside plantainorgoose tongue, is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It has a subcosmopolitan distribution in temperate and Arctic regions, native to most of Europe, northwest Africa, northern and central Asia, northern North America, and southern South America.[2][3]
It is a herbaceous perennial plant with a dense rosetteofleaves without petioles. Each leaf is linear, 2–22 cm long and under 1 cm broad, thick and fleshy-textured, with an acute apex and a smooth or distantly toothed margin; there are three to five veins. The flowers are small, greenish-brown with brown stamens, produced in a dense spike 0.5–10 cm long on top of a stem 3–20 cm tall.[4][5][6]
There are four subspecies:[3][6]
In much of the range it is strictly coastal, growing on sandy soils. In some areas, it also occurs in alpine habitats, along mountain streams.[4] Some of the physiology and metabolism of this species has been described, of particular note is how the metabolism of this species is altered with elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.[7][8]
Like samphires, the leaves of the plant are harvested to be eaten raw or cooked.[9][10] The seeds are also eaten raw or cooked, and can be ground into flour.[9]
Media related to Plantago maritima at Wikimedia Commons| Plantago maritima |
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