ribwort

Everyday

A common wild plant with long narrow leaves that have strong lines (ribs) and a dark brown flower head on a tall stalk. tree →

In the lessons

In nature walks and science lessons in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand it is a common lawn and roadside weed. Children play a game called «soldiers» or «conkers with plantains», flicking the heads off each other's stalks. Phrases: «ribwort plantain».

Examples

• Ribwort grows in the field behind the school. tree →
• We played soldiers with ribwort stalks. tree →
• The leaves of ribwort have long lines like ribs. tree →
• Ribwort plantain is a food plant for some caterpillars. tree →
• Count how many ribwort plants are in the quadrat. tree →
• Ribwort flowers have tiny white stamens round the head. tree →

Note

Countable or uncountable. «-wort» is an old word for plant (also in «St John's wort»). Not the same as the «plantain» fruit, which is like a banana — a trap.