Crow's foot plantain

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Crow's foot plantain
Crow's foot plantain (Plantago coronopus)

Crow's foot plantain ( Plantago coronopus )

Systematics
Asterids
Euasterids I
Order : Mint family (Lamiales)
Family : Plantain family (Plantaginaceae)
Genre : Plantain ( Plantago )
Type : Crow's foot plantain
Scientific name
Plantago coronopus
L.

The Plantago Coronopus ( Plantago coronopus ) (also Hirschhorn plantain , slot-plantain , slot leaf plantain , capuchin beard , monk beard or Goatee called) is a salt plant according Ellenberg indicating a low to moderate salt content. It belongs to the plantain family (Plantaginaceae) and is annual or perennial.

description

The Plantago Coronopus is about 5 to 25 cm tall plant whose leaves in a basal rosette stand and a long leafless, forming flower-bearing stems. The numerous, whitish, often pre-female single flowers are in an ear , which is no longer than the rest of the stem. The individual flowers are strongly flattened at the fruit time. A one- to five-seeded capsule fruit forms from them, but remains enclosed in the calyx. Up to 50 individual, quite thin, 4 to 8 cm long leaves appear only in rosettes at the base. Contrary to other representatives of the genus plantain , they are pinnate or roughly toothed. They also have protruding, short, often stiff, shaggy hair, which can also become bald as the leaves develop.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 10.

ecology

The plant forms a taproot with which it can survive the winter. Pollination takes place, as with other species of the genus plantain ( Plantago ), by the wind. The capsule fruits are mostly spread through the water ( hydrochory ). However, they can also stick to the fur of animals or the plumage of birds and be spread in this way ( epizoochory ).

Occurrence and distribution

The plant is not only found near the coasts of Europe, but is also widespread in the temperate latitudes of West Asia.

The plant, which blooms between June and September, grows in damp or alternately damp, disturbed and often step-affected salt areas. On the coast it is often found on salt marshes. In inland, however, it rarely occurs at inland salt stations . Their stocks are currently falling somewhat. This is mainly due to the abandonment of the traditional extensive cattle grazing of meadows influenced by salt. The crow's foot plantain has its main occurrence in the plant formation of the salt plant corridors and the crawling and step lawns. It is a characteristic of the Lolio-Plantaginetum coronopi association and an accompanying species of the Armerion maritimae association. Thanks to the use of road salt , it can also be found on motorways in Germany .

Leaf rosette of the crow's foot plantain
Leaf rosette of Plantago coronopus subsp. commutata in Crete

Systematics

The species is the type species of the subgenus and the Coronopus section of the same name . You can differentiate between the following subspecies:

  • Plantago coronopus ssp. coronopus
  • Plantago coronopus ssp. commutata (cast.) Pilgrim (Syn .: Plantago coronopus subsp. weldenii (Rchb.) Arcang. ), is native to the central to eastern Mediterranean coastal area. Some authors also regard it as a separate species: Plantago weldenii Rchb.
  • Plantago coronopus ssp. cupanii (cast.) Nyman : Some authors also regard it as a separate species: Plantago cupanii cast. : It occurs in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Sicily.
  • Plantago coronopus ssp. purpurascens pilgrims . It is also known as a subspecies to Plantago weldenii Rchb. posed: Plantago weldenii subsp. purpurascens (Nyman) Greuter & Burdet .

use

The crow's foot plantain was often used as a vegetable in the past. The doctor and botanist Hieronymus Bock lists it in his herbal book from 1546 as "crows or black paws" and recommends it as a medicinal herb for kidney and bladder problems.

The crow's foot plantain is still grown today in northern Italy and the Swiss canton of Ticino as a salad plant ( barba dei frati ). The cultivation took place on a relatively small scale in the last few decades, as the plant has largely been replaced by the vegetables and salads that are common today. Recently, however, the crow's foot plantain has been experiencing an upswing and can now be found increasingly on the weekly market , in specialty shops and in organic shops . It also finds its place as a mixing partner in the Misticanza seed mix .

The plant can be eaten raw or cooked. The taste is slightly bitter, also sour and, depending on where it is grown, can also be slightly salty.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas . With the collaboration of Angelika Schwabe and Theo Müller. 8th, heavily revised and expanded edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart (Hohenheim) 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , pp.  873 .
  2. ↑ focus.de
  3. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from October 28, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bswr.de

Web links

Commons : Crow's foot plantain ( Plantago coronopus )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files