It is a
herbaceousperennial plant with a dense
rosette of
leaves without
petioles. Each leaf is linear, 2–22 cm long and under 1 cm broad, thick and fleshy-textured, with an acute apex and a smooth or distantly toothed margin; there are three to five veins. The
flowers are small, greenish-brown with brown
stamens, produced in a dense spike 0.5–10 cm long on top of a stem 3–20 cm tall.[4][5][6]
Plantago maritima subsp. borealis (Lange) A. Blytt and O. Dahl. Arctic regions. All parts of the plant small, compared to temperate plants.
Plantago maritima subsp. juncoides (Lam.) Hultén. South America, North America (this name to North American plants has been questioned[6]).
Plantago maritima subsp. serpentina (All.) Arcang. Central Europe, on
serpentine soils in mountains.
Ecology and physiology
In much of the range it is strictly
coastal, growing on sandy soils. In some areas, it also occurs in
alpine habitats, along mountain streams.[4] Some of the physiology and metabolism of this species has been described, of particular note is how the metabolism of this species is altered with elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.[7][8]
Uses
Like
samphires, the leaves of the plant are harvested to be eaten raw or cooked.[9][10] The seeds are also eaten raw or cooked, and can be ground into flour.[9]
^Davey, M. P.; Harmens, H.; Ashenden, T. W.; Edwards, R.; Baxter, R. (2007). "Species-specific effects of elevated CO2 on resource allocation in Plantago maritima and Armeria maritima". Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 35 (3): 121.
doi:
10.1016/j.bse.2006.09.004.
^Davey, M.; Bryant, D. N.; Cummins, I.; Ashenden, T. W.; Gates, P.; Baxter, R.; Edwards, R. (2004). "Effects of elevated CO2 on the vasculature and phenolic secondary metabolism of Plantago maritima". Phytochemistry. 65 (15): 2197–2204.
Bibcode:
2004PChem..65.2197D.
doi:
10.1016/j.phytochem.2004.06.016.
PMID15587703.
^Seymour, Tom, Foraging New England: Edible wild food and medicinal plants from Maine to the Adirondacks to Long Island Sound, 2nd ed. (Guilford, Connecticut: Morris Book Publishing, 2013),
pp. 2-4. See also: Seymour, Tom (June 2009),
"Free Lunch: Foraging the Maine Seashore,"Fishermen's Voice (Gouldsboro, Maine, U.S.A.).