Goosetongue

/ˈɡuːsˌtʌŋ/ noun

Definition

A plant (genus Plantago) with a narrow leaf shape resembling a goose's tongue, or the edible leaves of such plants.

Etymology

Compound word: 'goose' plus 'tongue,' descriptive of the plant's leaf shape. Common names for plants frequently used animal comparisons to help people remember and identify species.

Kelly Says

Goose-tongue plantain is still harvested and eaten in parts of northern Europe and North America as a wild green—a food memory that survives in a plant name long after most people stop recognizing it as edible!

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