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Taxon  Report  
Plantago ovata  Forssk.
Desert indianwheat,   Desert plantain,   Woolly plantain
Plantago ovata is an annual herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Plantago
Family: Plantaginaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Habitat: coastal

Communities: Coastal Strand, Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Joshua Tree Woodland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTSPlantago brunnea
PLANTSPlantago fastigiata
PLANTSPlantago gooddingii
PLANTSPlantago insularis var. fastigiata
PLANTSPlantago insularis var. scariosa
...
Information about  Plantago ovata from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (PLOV)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Psyllium Source: It is a common source of psyllium, a type of dietary fiber. Psyllium seed husks are indigestible and are a source of soluble fiber which may be fermented into butyric acid - a short-chain fatty acid - by butyrate-producing bacteria. Plantago ovata is the most popular source for commercial products containing psyllium. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 11/21/2024).