The common plantain (Plantago major) grows throughout the US, but is of Eurasian descent, and is now naturalized throughout the world. Legend has it that Alexander the Great discovered it and brought it with him back to Europe in 327 BCE. It has been referred to as the Whiteman's Foot by Native Americans, as wherever they went, it seemed to spring up, and in some places, it is seen as a noxious, invasive weed. Plantain has been used as a panacea in some Native American cultures and with some very good reasons.