Practical
Plants

Plantago asiatica

Che Qian Zi

a perennial member of the Plantago genus in the family Plantaginaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
0.5 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Wind
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - raw or cooked[4]. Rather fibrous, unless they are very young, they have a slightly bitter flavour[K].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves and the seed are anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antitussive, cardiac, diuretic, expectorant, haemostatic. Assists the repair of joints[1][2][5]. The seed is used internally in the treatment of a variety of ailments including asthma, bladder problems, bronchitis, fever, hypertension and rheumatism[4][5][6]. The leaves are also used for these purposes, though they are considered to be less powerful than the seed[4]. The leaves can be harvested at any time in the growing season, and are used fresh or dried[5]. A decoction of the roots is used in the treatment of coughs[4]. Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing irritated membranes[5]. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds[5]. Extracts of the plant have antibacterial activity[4].

Product or use
Antibacterial
Product or use
Antiinflammatory
Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Antitussive
Product or use
Cardiac
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Haemostatic
Product or use
Laxative

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Korea.
Habitat
Woods and waste ground in lowland and mountains all over Japan[7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer A sowing can be made outdoors in situ in mid to late spring if you have enough seeds.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in any moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[3]. This species is hardy to at least -15°c[5]. Closely related to P. major and included as a sub-species of that plant by some botanists[5].

References

  1. Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.

    ↩

  2. Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985-00-00

    ↩

  3. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩

  4. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  5. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  6. Medicinal Plants in the Republic of Korea World Health Organisation, Manila 1998-00-00 ISBN 92 9061 120 0

    ↩

  7. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

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