Plantain

 Plantago lanceolata (British plantain)

Plantain (Plantago) is a common plant that grows pretty much everywhere. It is as familiar as dandelion. Plantain usually catches everyone's attention. The most common varieties are broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) and narrowleaf plantain, also known as English plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

Plantain flower

The leaves grow in rosette and the stems are leafless bearing a compact narrow head of tiny flowers. I have read somewhere that plantain is supposed to be edible but I found it too fibrous and therefore don't recommend it.

Plantago lanceolata at the Arcata marsh

Plantain is a typical representative of the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) after which the family is named. Recently there has been some shuffling of the plants in and out of the families based on phylogenetic studies, the plantain family being especially affected.

Broadleaf plantain (Plantago major) at the Arcata Redwood forest

Indians used to call plantain "white man's foot" meaning that the plant spread with the white people's invasion into their land, reflecting in the language the introduced nature of the species.