Plantago psyllia

L. (1753 non 1762)

Fleawort, Psyllium seed, Fleaseed

PlantaginaceaeLeavesSeeds/NutsScore: 35/100

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds, Sprouted Seeds

Sprouted seeds are eaten raw in salads, grown on porous material to reduce mucilage. The seeds are a source of oil, and the seed husk mucilage is used as a stabiliser in frozen dairy desserts.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Asia, Europe, France, India, Iraq, Mediterranean, Middle East, Spain, Turkey, Türkiye,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Estonia, Egypt, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A temperate herb in the Plantaginaceae family with edible seeds and leaves. The seeds are particularly notable for their high linoleic and alpha-linoleic acid content.

Nutrition Score: 35/100

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
husk	8.3	1402	335	1.4	—	—	—	—

Medicinal Uses

The seeds, known as French psyllium or black psyllium, are medicinally cultivated, along with other species under the psyllium common name, such as P. ovata, for use as a laxative for constipation and are also used to treat irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and diarrhea by extracting the mucilage from the seed coat. The mucilage from the seeds has also been reported to lower the risk of coronary heart disease.

Notes

The plantains or Plantaginaceae are mostly in temperate regions. There are about 165 Plantago species. The seeds are high in linoleic and alpha-linoleic acids.

Names & Synonyms

Kala isabgol

References (6)

Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 467
Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, p 173
Food Composition Tables for the Near East. http://www/fao.org/docrep No. 392
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Solomon, C., 2001, Encyclopedia of Asian Food. New Holland. p 283 (Plantago psyllium)
Sp. pl. 1:115. 1753 - non P. psyllium L. (1759, nec L. 1762)\; this name needs to be formally rejected to preserve usage of P. arenaria, but a proposal to accomplish this has not yet been submitted