The Indian psyllium herb belongs to the plantainfamily, native to the desert regions of North Africa and Southwest Asia, height up to 1o cm, long, narrow-linear, white-fluffy hairy leaves, small flowers in densely flowered spikes, as well as an elliptical capsule fruit, which contains small, yellowish to brown, crested seeds up to 2.5 mm in size. Flowers from January to April.
The ripe seeds(Plantaginis ovatae semen) or the seed husks(Indian psyllium husks - Plantaginis ovatae seminis tegumentum) are used phytotherapeutically.