Flea Seeds

seeds of two species of the family Plan-taginaceae; the flea plantain (Plantago psyllium) and the Indian plantain (P. indica). They are annual grasses found in Europe and Asia. The seeds are small (approximately 2 mm), black, shiny (resembling fleas, hence the name), and convex on one side and concave on the other. The flea seeds (or an infusion from them) are used in medicine as a coating and laxative and also in the textile and paper industries in place of starch.