Taxon: Plantago afra L.

Summary

Genus:

Plantago

Subgenus:

Psyllium

Section:

Psyllium

Family:

Plantaginaceae

Tribe:

Plantagineae

Nomen number:

316475

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. ed. 2, 1:167. 1762

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

02/05/1992 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

1 (1 active, 1 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Psyllium afrum (L.) Mirb.

Invalid Designation(s)
Plantago psyllium auct.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
Applequist, W. L. 2006. (1714-1715) Proposal to reject the names Plantago psyllium and Plantago cynops (Plantaginaceae). Taxon 55:235-237.
Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
Bisset, N. G., ed. 1994. Herbal drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practice on a scientific basis CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Note: translation of German edition by M. Wichtl, ed.
Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Harling, G. & B. Sparre, eds. 1973-. Flora of Ecuador.
L'Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament. 2012. Pharmacopée française – Liste A des plantes médicinales utilisees traditionnellement. 24.
Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2 Note: = Plantago psyllium L., but may refer to P. psyllium auct.
Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2
Migahid, A. M. 1988-1990. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):401.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	African plantain	1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
English	black psyllium	1	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
English	glandular plantain	1	Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
English	psyllium	1	Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
French	herbes aux puces	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	pilicaire	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	plantain africain	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
French	psyllium	2	L'Agence nationale de sécurité du médicament. 2012. Pharmacopée française – Liste A des plantes médicinales utilisees traditionnellement. 24.
German	Flohkraut	2	Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
German	scharzer Flohsame	2	Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen Note: as Psyllium afrum
Portuguese	erva-das-pulgas	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanish	zaragatona	2	Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedish	loppfrö	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transliterated Russian	blošnaja trava	2	Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Africa	East Tropical Africa	Tanzania			Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Portugal	Madeira Islands		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Macaronesia	Spain	Canarias		Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Ethiopia
1	Native	Africa	Northeast Tropical Africa	Sudan
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Algeria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Egypt			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Libya			Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Morocco			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Africa	Northern Africa	Tunisia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Arabian Peninsula	Saudi Arabia			Migahid, A. M. 1988-1990. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Arabian Peninsula	Yemen			Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Middle Asia	Turkmenistan
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Afghanistan			Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Cyprus
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Egypt	Sinai		Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iran			Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Iraq			Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Israel			Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Jordan			Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Lebanon			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Syria			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Asia-Temperate	Western Asia	Turkey			Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1	Native	Asia-Tropical	Indian Subcontinent	Pakistan		n.	Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Albania			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Bulgaria			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Croatia			Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Greece		incl. Crete	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Italy		incl. Sardinia, Sicily	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	France		incl. Corsica	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Portugal			Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1	Native	Europe	Southwestern Europe	Spain		incl. Baleares	Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2	Cultivated					also cult.

Native
Africa

MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias], Portugal [Madeira Islands]
NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Ethiopia, Sudan
EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Tanzania

Asia-Temperate

ARABIAN PENINSULA: Saudi Arabia, Yemen
WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Cyprus, Egypt [Sinai], Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
MIDDLE ASIA: Turkmenistan

Asia-Tropical

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Pakistan (n.)

Europe

SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily)
SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal

Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)

Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976-. Flora of Libya.
Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
Migahid, A. M. 1988-1990. Flora of Saudi Arabia, ed. 3.
Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa.
Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Wood, J. R. I. 1997. A handbook of the Yemen flora.
Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Food additives	stabilizer	as Plantago psyllium	Larsen, A. et al., eds. 1992. Association of Official Seed Analysts Handbook 25
Food additives	thickening agent	as Plantago psyllium	Larsen, A. et al., eds. 1992. Association of Official Seed Analysts Handbook 25
Medicines	folklore		Bisset, N. G., ed. 1994. Herbal drugs and phytopharmaceuticals. A handbook for practice on a scientific basis CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. Note: translation of German edition by M. Wichtl, ed.
Medicines	folklore		Padua, L. S. de et al., eds. 1999. Medicinal and poisonous plants 1. In: Faridah Hanum, I. & L. J. G. van der Maesen, eds., Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA) 12(1):401.
Weed	seed contaminant	potential; found in open fields, meadows, dunes, etc.	Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=316475. Accessed 12 May 2026.