Plantago afra |
Plantago floccosa |
|
---|---|---|
glandular plantain |
floccose plantain |
|
Habit | Annuals; roots taproots, slender. | Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, glabrous or hairy; roots several taproots, fragile. |
Stems | 100–350 mm, freely branched. |
0–30 mm. |
Leaves | cauline, opposite, 30–60 × 1–4 mm; blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or slightly toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy. |
50–220 × 9–60 mm; blade elliptic to narrowly elliptic, margins with inconspicuous teeth, veins conspicuous, surfaces hairy, adaxial surface hairs floccose, slender, 4–6 × 0.01–0.03 mm. |
Scapes | 30–50 mm, hairy. |
55–220 mm, lanate, hairs variously directed, long. |
Spikes | greenish or brownish, 40–65 mm, densely flowered, glandular-hairy; bracts all similar, ovate, 3–5 mm, lengths 1–1.5 times sepals. |
greenish or brownish, 200–500 mm, densely flowered, flowers less crowded proximally; bracts narrowly triangular or triangular, 2–2.8 mm, lengths 0.9–1 times sepals. |
Flowers | sepals 3–3.5 mm; corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–3 mm, base obtuse; stamens 4. |
sepals 1.9–2.7 mm; corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 2–2.9 mm, base obtuse; stamens 4. |
Capsules | lanceoloid. |
|
Seeds | 2, 2–3 mm. |
3, 1.8–2.4 mm. |
2n | = 12. |
|
Plantago afra |
Plantago floccosa |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering spring–fall. |
Habitat | Disturbed habitats. | Roadsides. |
Elevation | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) | 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.) |
Distribution |
MA; s Europe [Introduced in North America] |
FL; Mexico (Hidalgo, México, Querétaro, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Veracruz) [Introduced in North America] |
Discussion | Plantago afra is known in Massachusetts from a single collection made in 1927 in Worcester County. Plantago psyllium Linnaeus (1762, not 1753), a rejected name, and P. indica Linnaeus are misapplied names that pertain here. Plantago squalida Salisbury is an illegitimate name that pertains here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
According to J. Burkhalter (pers. comm.), Plantago floccosa is well established in northwestern Florida near the border with Alabama. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 284. | FNA vol. 17, p. 287. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 168. (1762) | Decaisne: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(1): 723. (1852) |
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