Page 100 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Plantain, Plantago spp.

(PLANTAGINACEAE)

PLANTAIN is a perennial with leafless, silky, hairy
flower stems. Plantago genus contains about 200 spe-
cies and is found all over Earth. They are most common-
ly in wet seepages, bogs, coastal areas, and alpine or
semi-alpine areas. Most are herbaceous, but some are P. lanceolata
subshrubs growing up to 24 inches (60cm). Most people
use Broadleaf Plantain, P. major and Narrowleaf/Rib-

wort Plantain, P. lanceolata.
P. lanceolata
FLOWER: Flowers are either a short cone or a long
spike, which produces hundreds of seeds. Flower spikes
are 2-6 inches (5-15cm) long. Fruits are 0.04-0.15 inches
(2-4mm) long, dry and split open when ripe.
LEAF: Leaves are basal, slightly fuzzy, broad or narrow.
P. major P. major
They are spreading or erect, scarcely toothed, and have
3-5 strong veins that are parallel and narrow. Leaves and leaky gut.
have stretchy fibers that are exposed when gently pull- HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Harvest leaves at the
ing the stem from the leaf. P. major leaves are 2-8 inches base, remove stems and use like spinach. Leaves can
(5-20cm) long and 1.5-3.5 inches (4-9cm) wide. P. lance- be sautéed, stuffed, added to pesto, used in salads.
olata has lanceolate to lance-oblong leaves that taper to Leaves can be eaten raw, but older leaves taste better
the petiole and are 2-9 inches (5-25cm) long. cooked. Seeds are edible raw, roasted, or ground into

EDIBLE PARTS: leaves, seeds a meal.
KEY MEDICINAL USES: The plant has antioxidant, an- FIELD LAXATIVE: Steep small handful of seeds in
ti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and analgesic properties. boiling water for 10-15 min. Drink tea, swallowing
Often used as a drawing plant for bites, stings, rashes, some seeds. Hydrate well when drinking laxatives.

Prairie Turnip, Psoralea
esculenta (FABACEAE)

PRAIRIE TURNIP, Timpsula, Tinpsila, or Indian Bread-
root is an herbaceous, seed-bearing perennial that lives
3 to 6 years and is native to dry woodlands and prairies
Matt Lavin, CC-BY-SA-2.0
of central North America. The plant grows best on well-
drained, rocky or sandy soil, in full sun.
FLOWER: Prairie turnips produce densely hairy spikes
of ½-inch (1.3cm) bluish-purple pea-shaped flowers.
Flowers are found in terminal clusters that are 4 inches
(5-10cm) long, leading to flattened pods.

LEAF: Stalked leaves are palmately compound in groups Matt Lavin, CC-BY-SA-2.0
of 5 growing up to 6 inches (15cm) long. Leaflets, mea- HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Tubers have a dark,
suring 1-2 inches long, ⅓ -¾ inches (0.8-2cm) wide, are hard skin and need to be peeled before consuming.
oval and elliptic. The upper surface is nearly smooth, They can be eaten raw, cooked, or dried and pow-
and undersides are covered in flattened hairs. dered.

EDIBLE PARTS: tubers ROASTED PRAIRIE TURNIPS AND WINTER
KEY MEDICINAL USES: Prairie turnip is used for ane- SQUASH: Roast cubed turnips and winter squash.
mia, heart health, brain health, cancer, diabetes, energy, Drizzle with agave syrup in the last 5 min. Top with
osteoporosis and more. toasted sesame seeds.

99