psyllium

psyllium /psyl·li·um/ (sil´e-um)

1. a plant of the genus Plantago.

2. the husk (psyllium husk) or seed (plantago or psyllium seed) of various species of Plantago ; used as a bulk-forming laxative.

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psyl·li·um (sl-m)

n.

1. An annual Eurasian plant having opposite leaves and small flowers borne in dense spikes.

2. The seeds of this plant, widely used as a mild bulk laxative and sometimes added to foods as a dietary source of soluble fiber.

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psyllium (silˑ·ē·m),

n Latin names:
Plantago ovata, Plantago psyllium, or
Plantago indica; parts used: husks, leaves, and seeds; uses: laxative, dietary aid, hypercholesterolemia, urinary tract conditions, and diarrhea; precautions: individuals with intestinal obstruction. May cause vomiting, anorexia, flatus, diarrhea, and bloating. Also called
blond plantago, broadleaf plantain, buckhorn, flea seed, French psyllium, snakeweed, way-bread, white man's foot, wild plantain, lanten, or
ripple grass.

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psyllium

a fecal softener made from the seeds of the plants Plantago psyllium, P. indica and P. ovata. The mucilloid portion of the seeds of P. ovata is used to make psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid which is a bulk aperient to relieve constipation caused by a low residue diet.