Witnessed by: Western · Unani
Greater plantain (Plantago major), of the Plantaginaceae family. Low rosette perennial with broad, strongly ribbed leaves and slender rat-tail flower spikes; native range: Europe and temperate Asia; naturalised across the globe, a stubborn weed of paths and dooryards. Globally recognized as lisan al-hamal (لسان الحمل, lamb's tongue) in Arabic, and broadleaf plantain, rat's-tail plantain, waybread, white man's footprint in English. The part used is leaf, whole herb, seed. Tough oval leaves drawn by five to nine parallel ribs that string out like sinews when snapped; nearly odourless, the taste faintly bitter and astringent with a slippery, mucilaginous finish.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
GREATER PLANTAIN
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- greater plantain
- Scientific name
- Plantago major L.
- Family
- Plantaginaceae
Form
- Part used
- leaf, whole herb, seed
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Western
- astringent · mucilaginous, faintly bitter and salty
- Unani
- astringent · bland, slightly bitter
Temperature
Western: cool
Unani: cold (cold and dry, 2nd degree)
convergence: both {witness_count} witnesses agree — a cooling, drying astringent that quiets heat and flux
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Western
- skin · mucous membranes · lungs · kidneys · blood · bowels
- Unani
- stomach · intestines · kidneys · bladder · lungs · skin
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Western
- vulnerary, astringent, demulcent, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, styptic, diuretic, alterative
- Unani
- qabiz (astringent), habis-e-dam (styptic), mudammil-e-qurooh (wound-healing), musakkin (soothing), dafe-e-humma (antipyretic)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- generally very safe; the seed's swelling mucilage should be taken with ample water
- Toxicity
- no significant toxicity; rare contact sensitivity to the fresh plant
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