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bottlebrush indianwheat, bract plantain, bristly plantain, large bract plantain

saltmeadow plantain

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

20–40 mm.

0–20 mm.

Leaves

30–200 × 3–7 mm;

blade linear or narrowly lanceolate, margins entire, rarely toothed, veins conspicuous or not, abaxial surface villous, adaxial glabrous or sparsely villous.

45–140 × 1.5–4 mm;

blade linear, margins entire, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces sericeous, rarely lanate.

Scapes

100–500 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, long and short.

300–1300 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, long and short.

Spikes

greenish or brownish, 80–150 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts almost linear, 15–30 mm, length 2–12 times sepals.

greenish or brownish, 70–200 mm, densely or loosely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts ovate, 1.5–2 mm, length 0.4–0.7 times sepals, apex acute.

Flowers

sepals 2.7–3.7 mm;

corolla bilaterally symmetric, lobes reflexed, adaxials 1.4–2.3 mm, laterals symmetric, base deeply cordate;

stamens 4, connective elongated, apex acute.

sepals 2.6–3.3 mm;

corolla bilaterally symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1.7–2.6 mm, base cordate;

stamens 4, connective slightly elongated, apex obtuse.

Seeds

2, 2.5–2.9 mm.

2, 2.3–2.8 mm.

2n

= 20.

Plantago aristata

Plantago argyrea

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Roadsides, pastures, disturbed ground. Clearings in forests.
Elevation 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) 700–2900 m. (2300–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; NS; ON [Introduced in Central America, Europe, Asia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plantago aristata is similar to P. patagonica; the latter is distinguished by its dense, villous indument.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 284. FNA vol. 17, p. 284.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Plantago Plantaginaceae > Plantago
Sibling taxa
P. afra, P. argyrea, 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. 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
Synonyms P. patagonica var. aristata, P. purshii var. aristata
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 95. (1803) E. Morris: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 111. (1900)
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