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glandular plantain

pineland plantain

Habit Annuals; roots taproots, slender. Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, glabrous; roots taproots, thick.
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.

50–300 × 10–30 mm;

blade lanceolate, margins entire, sometimes toothed, veins conspicuous, laterals branching from base, surfaces sparsely hairy.

Scapes

30–50 mm, hairy.

75–150 mm, sparsely hairy.

Spikes

greenish or brownish, 40–65 mm, densely flowered, glandular-hairy;

bracts all similar, ovate, 3–5 mm, lengths 1–1.5 times sepals.

brownish or greenish, 100–450 mm, loosely flowered, rachis visible between flowers;

bracts ovate, 1 mm, length 0.5–0.6 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 3–3.5 mm;

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

stamens 4.

sepals 2 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes spreading, 1 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Capsules

lanceoloid.

Seeds

2, 2–3 mm.

2, 2 mm.

2n

= 12.

= 24.

Plantago afra

Plantago sparsiflora

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Disturbed habitats. Moist, sandy soils, open, undisturbed pine woods.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
MA; s Europe [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
FL; GA; NC; SC
[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.)

Populations of Plantago sparsiflora occur mainly along the Atlantic coast from Columbia County, North Carolina, south to Volusia County, Florida.

(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. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 168. (1762) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 94. (1803)
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