Lamb's Tongues
Plantago lanceolata
Plantaginaceae
Uses include sward improvement and forage. It is reported to have medicinal properties.
Lamb's Tongues is an annual or biennial herb with a persistent tap root. The basal leaves (rosset) have a lance to oval shape (8–20 cm long, 10–30 mm wide) and tapering at the tip. Leaves are 5-veined and leaf edges have a few minute teeth. Flower stalks can reach 45cm high and are longitudinally ridged. Small flowers form on a simple inflorescence (spike), with the spike ranging in size from 1 to 12 cm long. While this weed is considered to be a wind pollinated plant, syrphid flies and bees are reported to visit flowers and are possibly involved in pollination. Fruit is a capsule, 3-4 mm long. Reproduction is mainly by seed, but it can also reproduce via stem fragments. Seed can remain viable for up to 3 years and the plant can resprout following fire. Lamb's Tongues is found in many countries around the world and is widely naturalised in Australia. Lamb's Tongues is reported to grow in a range of soil types. It is known to form associations with mycorrhizal fungi, which improve nutrient and water uptake. Lamb's Tongues is a common weed in cultivation, lawns, turfs, gardens, orchards, roadsides and disturbed areas.
A range of natural enemies (invertebrates, fungi and viruses) are reported for this weed in an article published in the Journal of Ecology. Illinois wildflowers provides a list of insects known to impact Lamb's tongues , some of these include the Northern Plantain Flea Beetle, Carrot Weevil, Chrysanthemum Leafminer, Garden Flea Hopper, Brown Stink Bug, Rosy Apple Aphid and Trochanter Mealybug. It is a reported host for the light brown apple moth, which has a broad host range (see link below) including over 250 fruit and vegetable plants. It is also a host for Green vegetable bugs, which is an important economic pest in agriculture and horticulture. The website, Aphids of the world, list 16 types of aphids feeding on Lamb's tongues (see link below). One of these is the Plantain aphid (Aphis plantaginis - see pest images). Lamb's tongues is also a host for the Beet Armyworm moth (Spodoptera exigua), which is an important pest in a number of crops. Powdery mildew is also known to impact this weed (Podosphaera plantaginis, Golovinomyces sordidus). The website, Discover Life, provide a substantial list of beneficial and pest organisms impacting Lamb's tongues - see link below. Lamb's tongues is reported to be a host to a range of moths and butterflies, some of which include Spilosoma congrua (Agreeable tiger moth) and Melitaea cinxia (Glanville Fritillary). The Buckeye butterfly larvae (Junonia coenia) is also known to eat the leaves of Lamb's tongues. Toxic ompounds in the leaves accumulate in the caterpillars and make them unpalatable to predators. Hoverflies are also known to visit flowers.