For you plant types in the know

[JP]

Is this plantain that you put on bee stings? And if so, what part of the plant do you use again?

....JP

[reinbeau]

Nope, that's a nice dock plant, probably curley dock.

This is plantain.

[randydrivesabus]

ann is correct...you chew the leaf and then put it on the sting. which is quite an accomplishment if you have a veil on

[JP]

Darn it, I'm begiining to wonder if I'll ever find that plant where I live. Everyone says its common but I don't ever recall seeing it.

....JP

[mgates61]

i am for Pennsylvania and the variety of plantain we had  was one with a long skinnt stem.  We used to wrap the stem around itself and shoot the head at each other.

Just a bit of yankee trivia.


Mike

[Kathyp]

you may have the narrow leaf type.  anns pic is the broad leaf type.  i have both.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.florahealth.com/NR/rdonlyres/18DF8F5D-FFD2-11D5-8E2A-00B0D0AA4F55/3426/Plantain.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.florahealth.com/flora/home/Canada/HealthInformation/Encyclopedias/PlantainLeaf.htm&h=294&w=392&sz=97&hl=en&start=86&tbnid=ezFS1A7hiEmuTM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplantain%2BLA%26start%3D84%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

can't tell you if there is any difference in action.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/images/Plantain.jpg
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#plantain

[KONASDAD]

I have both broad and narrow variety. The broad seems to work better. It really works well too. I use it alnmost any skin irritaion now. My whole family now knows what it looks like and they use it on the kids and everyone. very amazing stuff.

It is more easily found where its very dry and almost barren as it is the only thing that will survive. Like gravel driveways, roadsides etc.

[Sir Stungalot]

J.P, the reason you don't see it a lot is because it is not really that common here in the South. Up North, it is a common lawn weed, down here it is a now and again kinda' thing. I have only ever seen the narrow leaf one here anyway.
It is a perennial that does better with a long cold winter. S. Louisianna is just not, well, prime Plantain country!  I am up here right next to Shreveport and, like I said, it is not that common here.

[JP]

Thanks for the feedback sir stungalot.

....JP

[reinbeau]

JP, try looking along old railroad beds.  They're a common railroad weed everywhere, or so I've been told.

[JP]

JP, try looking along old railroad beds.  They're a common railroad weed everywhere, or so I've been told.

k, Ann, thanks

....JP

[talkingamoeba]

broadleafed is the one you want, or jewel weed works really well too

[Brian D. Bray]

Masicate lightly and apply chewed leaf to sting area.  You want to break the juice free of the leaf but not pulverize it.

[Cindi]

Doc is such a nuisance plant around here, and man when it sets seed watch out, thousands and thousands and thousands of seeds on a single seed stalk.  And a tap root that I am sure reaches to China, so hard to dig out, and only knows, leave a hunk of root in the ground, the process begins all over.  Doc, rats, can't stand the stuff.  Nasty.  Have a wonderful and beautiful day, love our life.  Cindi

[JP]

My search for the plantain continues...


....JP

[Cindi]

JP, go, go, go.  Someone said they are not as plentiful in the warmer climates, but maybe there will be some, somewhere, sometime, in your travels.  It would be interesting to hear if you find some.  Did you look at both types of the plantain?  There is the spear and the flat types.  Have a wonderful and awesome day, good luck, dude!!!  Cindi