Fibrous-rooted perennial, 6-25" tall with a stout root crown. Leaves in a basal rosette, narrowly lance-olate to oblanceolate, 4-12" long, only 1/2 as wide. Flowers whitish, translucent, 4 corolla lobes spreading to reflexed, about 0.8" long with protruding styles and stamens. Flowers open first at the bottom of the dense spike which may be 3" long at maturity. Buds at the top give the spike a rounded, conical appearance. Bloom time May-October. Introduced from Eurasia, now a cosmopolitan weed of lawns and waste places. The plant is edible and the very young leaves are rich in vitamin A, C and iron. Medicinally, all of the plantains contain a high level of tannin, which causes the leaves to have an astringent property, making them useful for treating skin conditions such as sores, cuts, inflammation and bites.
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