Buck's-horn plantain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Buck's-horn plantain |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Plantago
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| Species: |
coronopus
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Plantago coronopus, also known as buck's-horn plantain, is a type of flowering plant. It's a herbaceous plant, meaning it has soft stems instead of woody ones. It can grow for one year (an annual) or for several years (a perennial). It belongs to the plant family called Plantaginaceae. In some places, especially in the US and Italy, people also call it minutina or erba stella.
Contents
What is Buck's-horn Plantain?
Buck's-horn plantain has leaves that grow in a circle close to the ground. This is called a basal rosette. These leaves are long and narrow, up to 25 centimeters (about 10 inches) long. They often have jagged edges or are deeply divided.
The plant's flower stalks grow straight up, reaching about 4 to 7 centimeters (1.5 to 2.7 inches) tall. At the top of these stalks, you'll find many tiny flowers packed closely together in spikes. Sometimes, these spikes even curve. Each small flower has four whitish parts, each about a millimeter long.
Where Does Buck's-horn Plantain Grow?
This plant mostly grows in sandy or rocky places near the sea. You can also find it along roadsides where salt is used to treat the roads. It originally comes from Europe, Asia, and North Africa. However, it has spread to many other parts of the world, like the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. When a plant grows in a new place where it wasn't originally found, it's called an introduced species.
How is Buck's-horn Plantain Used?
Plantago coronopus is grown as a leaf vegetable. It's known as erba stella, especially in Italy. People often add it to salad mixes, especially for special markets.
Recently, it has become popular with farmers in colder regions. This is because it can handle frost, making it a good crop to grow in winter. Farmers often grow it in unheated greenhouses called "hightunnels" during the colder months.
See also
In Spanish: Plantago coronopus para niños
