page_title: Plantago indica
section_title: Uses
hierarchical_section_title: Plantago indica / Uses
caption_attribution_description: English: Plantago arenaria Waldst. &amp; Kit. (syn. P. psyllium L., P. indica L., P. scabra Moench). Illustration from Flora Batava of Afbeelding en Beschrijving van Nederlandsche Gevassen, XVI. Deel. (1881), Volume 16. Its caption reads: "PLANTAGO ARENARIA W. K. 1272."
context_page_description: Plantago indica, commonly known as branched plantain, sand plantain, or black psyllium, is a flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae, and is one of a few species in the Plantago genus under the common name psyllium. The plant is native to parts of Africa, Europe, Russia, and Asia, and has been naturalized in many other areas such as Australia and North America. The plant can be found mostly in dry inland areas, such as those that are sandy, and has also naturalized on roadsides and in meadows. The plant is not used broadly as a food source, but has been cultivated for its seeds which serve a medicinal use as a laxative.
context_section_description: The seeds, known as French psyllium or black psyllium, are medicinally cultivated, along with other species under the psyllium common name, such as P. ovata, for use as a laxative for constipation and are also used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhea by extracting the mucilage from the seed coat. The mucilage from the seeds has also been reported to lower the risk of coronary heart disease.
caption: Illustration showing overall plant morphology, including flowers and seeds.
exif: {}