Plantago ovata (forssk.)

Authors:Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer, Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles

Last updated on: 15.12.2022

Synonym(s)

Flea seeds Indian; Indian flea seed; Psyllium husks

Requires free registration (medical professionals only)

Please login to access all articles, images, and functions.

Our content is available exclusively to medical professionals. If you have already registered, please login. If you haven't, you can register for free (medical professionals only).

Requires free registration (medical professionals only)

Please complete your registration to access all articles and images.

To gain access, you must complete your registration. You either haven't confirmed your e-mail address or we still need proof that you are a member of the medical profession.

Finish your registration now

DefinitionThis section has been translated automatically.

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

Field of application/useThis section has been translated automatically.

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.

Note(s)This section has been translated automatically.

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

Authors

Last updated on: 15.12.2022

Authors: Prof. Dr. med. Peter Altmeyer Prof. Dr. med. Martina Bacharach-Buhles