Plantago australis
Plantago eriopoda
Mexican plantain
alkali plantain, hairy fruit plantain, plantain à base velue, redwool plantain, saline plantain
0–10 mm.
0–20 mm.
40–350 × 6–77 mm;
blade elliptic to narrowly elliptic, margins entire, veins conspicuous, surfaces pilose, rarely glabrate, adaxial surface hairs not floccose, less than 2 mm long, more than 0.03 mm wide.
(30–)50–250 × (5–)15–70 mm;
blade lanceolate to elliptic, margins entire, veins conspicuous, laterals branching from base, surfaces glabrous or hairy.
30–560 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, short.
(40–)50–300 mm, glabrous or hairy.
greenish or brownish, 100–1000 mm, densely flowered;
bracts narrowly triangular, 1.6–4.2 mm, length 0.8–1.5 times sepals.
brownish or greenish, (25–)80–500 mm, loosely flowered, rachis visible between flowers;
bracts broadly ovate, 2–2.5 mm, length 0.8–1.2 times sepals.
sepals 2–2.5 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 2–2.8 mm, base obtuse;
stamens 4.
sepals 2–2.5 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1–1.5 mm, base obtuse;
stamens 4.
3, 1.2–2.2 mm.
2–4, 2–2.5 mm.
= 24.
= 24.
Plantago australis
Plantago eriopoda
Plantago australis occurs in Cochise, Coconino, and Pima counties. Plantago australis is most diverse in South America, where as many as 16 subspecies (K. Rahn 1974) may be recognized. Plants from California identified as P. hirtella are most likely P. subnuda. However, since the most important distinguishing character of P. australis is the absence of the developed taproot (which is fragile and often broken in herbarium specimens), all these samples require careful examination. Further research is needed also to clarify the circumscriptions of P. australis and P. subnuda.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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