A small, rosette-forming herb with narrow, fleshy leaves that are edible and have a mild, slightly bitter flavour. They can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a green vegetable. The leaves were also used medicinally. It is a native relative of the introduced broadleaf plantain (Plantago major). The leaves are arranged in a basal rosette. They are narrow, fleshy, and bright green, with several parallel veins running the length of the leaf. The leaves are covered in fine hairs, giving them a slightly rough texture. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, arranged in dense spikes at the tips of tall stalks. They appear in summer and are followed by small, capsule-like fruits containing the seeds. The flowers are pollinated by wind. Native plantain is a plant of the coastal zone. It grows on coastal cliffs, in grasslands, and at forest margins. It tolerates salt spray, wind, and drought. It is an important component of coastal plant communities. The leaves were used medicinally by Māori. They were made into a poultice for wounds, sores, and skin infections. A decoction of leaves was taken for internal ailments. The leaves were also eaten as a green vegetable. To find native plantain is to walk the coastal cliffs and grasslands. Look for the small rosettes of narrow, fleshy leaves. It is a plant of the coast, a survivor of the salt and wind. A few leaves can add a mild, slightly bitter flavour to a salad. It is the plantain of the coast, the green of the exposed places.