Plantago ovata (forssk.)

Plantago ovata is a plant species of the plantain genus, native to the desert areas of North Africa and Southwest Asia. Its seeds bear the name Indian psyllium and are used in food or as a drug in herbal medicines: Plantaginis ovatae semen

Plantagoovata is an annual herbaceous plant. It has a growth height between 2 and 10 cm. The leaves are mostly linear in shape, 2 to 10 cm in length and are rosette-like in their basic arrangement.

The flowers of Plantagoovata stand out in dense ears and reach a length of 0.5 to 3.5 cm. The capsule-like fruits of the Plantagoovata are elliptical in shape, 2.5 to 3.0 millimetres long and each contain 2 seeds with a yellow to brown colouring, which are used for medicinal purposes.

Plantagoovata is the parent plant of the official Plantaginis ovata semen, the Indian flea seed, monographed by Commission E and by HMPC and ESCOP.