Plantago ovata Forssk.
الربل، لقمة النعجة، مصيص، امن
For people
- Eaten by people
- Edible
- Toxic to people
- Not toxic
For livestock
- Grazed by livestock
- Good fodder
- Toxic to livestock
- Unknown
Edibility and safety notes
The seed husk (psyllium, isabgol) is widely eaten as dietary fibre and used as a food thickener; the young leaves are reported eaten raw or cooked. The husk or seeds must always be taken with plenty of water: swallowed dry they swell and can block the throat or gut, and they act as a laxative; psyllium can also cause allergic reactions in some people. In Arabia it is reported as a valued spring grazing plant for camels and sheep, but one source warns without detail that it is toxic for some animals, so its safety for livestock is not confirmed.
This guide is a hobby project, not expert advice. Never eat a wild plant, or feed it to animals, on the strength of this page alone. Read the disclaimer
Description
A softly hairy annual herb 10-30 cm tall, stemless or branched from the base. Leaves are crowded at the base, linear-lanceolate, 3-10 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide, covered with silky hairs and with 3-7 prominent parallel veins. Flowers are small, whitish-green, with papery sepals and petals, in dense cylindrical to ovoid spikes 1-4 cm long. The fruit is an ovoid capsule opening by a lid, with 2 boat-shaped brown seeds that become mucilaginous when wet. Flowers from January to April.
Habitat
Deserts and wadis, on sandy and gravelly ground.
Distribution
From the Canary Islands and south-eastern Spain across North Africa and the Middle East, including the Arabian Peninsula, to Pakistan and India. Grown commercially for psyllium mainly in Gujarat and Rajasthan, India.
Pastoral value
Good forage; a spring annual favoured for grazing camels and sheep.
Other uses
The seed husk is the main commercial source of psyllium (isabgol), sold as dietary fibre and traditionally used as a gentle bulk laxative and to soothe the gut. The seed mucilage is used as a thickener and stabiliser in foods such as ice cream.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.148)
- Useful Temperate Plants - Plantago ovata — temperate.theferns.info
- PROSEA - Plantago — uses.plantnet-project.org(PROSEA)
- Saudi Press Agency via Riyadh Daily - Plantago ovata in the Northern Borders rangelands — alriyadhdaily.com
- New Mexico Department of Health - bulk laxatives must be taken with water — nmhealth.org
- University of Arizona - Desert Indianwheat (Plantago ovata) — ecorestore.arizona.edu
- Plants For A Future - Plantago ovata — pfaf.org
- Wikipedia - Psyllium — en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia - Plantago ovata — en.wikipedia.org