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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
from FNA
MA; s Europe [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
FL; Mexico (Hidalgo, México, Querétaro, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Veracruz) [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
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 Plantaginaceae > Plantago Plantaginaceae > Plantago
Sibling taxa
P. argyrea, P. aristata, P. australis, P. canescens, P. cordata, P. coronopus, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. eriopoda, P. firma, P. floccosa, P. helleri, P. heterophylla, P. hookeriana, P. indica, P. lanceolata, P. macrocarpa, P. major, P. maritima, P. media, P. ovata, P. patagonica, P. pusilla, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
P. afra, P. argyrea, P. aristata, P. australis, P. canescens, P. cordata, P. coronopus, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. eriopoda, P. firma, P. helleri, P. heterophylla, P. hookeriana, P. indica, P. lanceolata, P. macrocarpa, P. major, P. maritima, P. media, P. ovata, P. patagonica, P. pusilla, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
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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