English Plantain Traditional Cache

The English Plantain, is familiar to me , but I never knew the name of it. Now I know and I hope you do too. The cache is by the Rec Trail off Honness Lane, a P&G, more or less. The parking lot for the apartment house, next to the Rec trail, is private. I was told to move.

Plantago lanceolata is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family Plantaginaceae. It is known by the common names English plantain, narrowleaf plantain, ribwort plantain,^[1] ribleaf and lamb's tongue.^{[citation needed]} It is a common weed of cultivated land.

Found in British Isles, scarce on acidic soils (pH < 4.5). It is considered an invasive weed in North America. It is present and widespread in the Americas and Australia as an introduced species.

Considered to be an indicator of agriculture in pollen diagrams, P. lanceolata has been found in western Norway from the Early Neolithic onwards, something considered an indicator of grazing in that area.^[3]

P. lanceolata is used frequently in herbal teas and other herbal remedies.^[4] A tea from the leaves is used as a highly effective cough medicine. In the traditional Austrian medicine Plantago lanceolata leaves have been used internally (as syrup or tea) or externally (fresh leaves) for treatment of disorders of the respiratory tract, skin, insect bites, and infections.^[5]

Plantago lanceolata, can live anywhere from very dry meadows to places similar to a rain forest.

Early colonists brought plantain to North America as one of their favored healing remedies. Native Americans called this persistent herb "white man's foot" as it is often found growing along well-trodden foot paths. The Latin generic name means "sole of the foot." The indigenous Americans adopted many of the traditional European uses for this beneficial herb. They also used the plant to draw out the poison of rattlesnake bite, to soothe rheumatic pain , as a poultice to treat battle wounds , and as an eyewash. They used the fresh young leaves and seeds in their diet.

The cache is a camoed "micro" pill bottle holding only a rolled log with a rubber band around it, to hold it tight, so it can easily fit in the tiny plastic bag and the cache. BYOP and no tweezers, please, they kill the plastic. You can get to the cache by walking the Rec Trail from Mitchell St. and the parking available there.That way you don't have to worry about where to park and you'll get some exersice. I ended up parking in the Lutheran church parking lot, up the street a ways, as it was empty at the time.