Plantago depressa

Family: Plantaginaceae

What it is like

An annual herb. It grows 12 cm tall. It has a long fleshy taproot. The leaves are in rings. The leaf blade is 5-10 cm long and 2-5 cm wide. They are narrowly sword shaped. The flower spike is a narrow cylinder shape. It grows 6-12 cm tall.

The plantains or Plantaginaceae are mostly in temperate regions. There are about 165 Plantago species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in wet mountain meadows and along river banks from near sea level to 4,500 m above sea level. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Asia, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Manchuria, Mongolia, Northeastern India, Pakistan, Russia, Siberia, Tajikistan, Tibet

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten raw or cooked as a vegetable. They are usually soaked in water then stir fried. They are also used for soup.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Che gu lu cai, Che lun cai, Che qian, Elzigen cihi, Ha pa yu cai, Jia gu ma, Tha ram, Vohpibil the, Vokpibilteh, Wu mu dian wu

Synonyms

Plantago leptostachys Ledeb.; Plantago sibirica Hort. ex Poir.; Plantago tibetica Hook. f. and Thoms; See Plantago major