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glandular plantain

redseed indianwheat, redseed plantain, Virginia plantain

Habit Annuals; roots taproots, slender. Annuals; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

100–350 mm, freely branched.

0–10 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.

60–290 × 7–30 mm;

blade obovate or elliptic, margins toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces pilose.

Scapes

30–50 mm, hairy.

15–150 mm, hairy, hairs patent, 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, yellowish, or brownish, 35–300 mm, densely or loosely flowered;

bracts narrowly triangular or triangular, 2.5–3.2 mm, length 0.7–1.1 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 3–3.5 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–3 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

sepals asymmetric, 2.7–3.6 mm, apex acuminate;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 2–3.1 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Capsules

lanceoloid.

Seeds

2, 2–3 mm.

2, dark red, 2.3–2.8 mm, adaxial face concave.

2n

= 12.

= 24.

Plantago afra

Plantago rhodosperma

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring.
Habitat Disturbed habitats. Rocky or sandy soils, grasslands, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–2600 m. (0–8500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
MA; s Europe [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; GA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MO; MS; NE; NM; OK; TN; TX; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 284. FNA vol. 17, p. 292.
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. 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. 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): 722. (1852)
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