| Plantago coronopus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Plantaginaceae |
| Genus: | Plantago |
| Species: | P. coronopus |
| Binomial name | |
| Plantago coronopus | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Plantago coronopus, thebuck's-horn plantain,[2] is aherbaceousannual toperennialflowering plant in the familyPlantaginaceae. Other common names in the US and Italy includeminutina anderba stella.[3]
Plantago coronopus produces abasal rosette of narrowly lance-shaped leaves up to 25 centimeters long that are toothed or deeply divided. Theinflorescences grow erect to about 4 to 7 cm in height. They have dense spikes of flowers which sometimes curve. Each flower has four whitish lobes each measuring about a millimeter long.Plantago coronopus mainly grows on sandy or gravelly soils close to the sea, but also on salt-treated roadsides.[4] It is native to Eurasia and North Africa but it can be found elsewhere, including the United States, Australia, and New Zealand as anintroduced species.
It is grown as aleaf vegetable known as erba stella,[3] mostly incorporated in salad mixes for specialty markets. Recently it has become popular as a frost-hardy winter crop for farmers in northern climates, and is usually grown in unheated hightunnels.
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