Plantago crassifolia var. crassifolia

The fleshy leaved Plantago crassifolia var. crassifolia or goose’s tongue is at home along the southern coastline of South Africa. This photo was taken at Onrus near Hermanus. The flower stalks are unremarkable, lowly brown erect cylinders, easily ignored by passersby.

There is more to it! The plant also grows around the Mediterranean, noted in marshy places of Greece, Israel, Spain and Mallorca. Recognised as a foodstuff, the plant is described as a food of last resort. The young leaves are boiled and eaten with salt and bacon grease (when such delicacy would be available). Some people grow the plant as a vegetable.

There is worthwhile relearning of ancient beachcomber lore in the plants of the land. Useful, if people should get that hungry again… and if the plants are still growing by the sea (Niebuhr, 1970; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; www.pfaf.org).