Plantago australis
Plantago indica
Mexican plantain
plantain des sables, sand plantain
0–10 mm.
100–350 mm, freely branched.
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.
cauline, opposite, 60–80 × 1–3 mm;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy.
30–560 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, short.
100–650 mm, hairy.
greenish or brownish, 100–1000 mm, densely flowered;
bracts narrowly triangular, 1.6–4.2 mm, length 0.8–1.5 times sepals.
greenish or brownish, (50–)150–250 mm, densely flowered, eglandular;
bracts proximal strongly differing from distal, ovate, 2–5(–7) mm, length 1–1.5 times sepals, proximal bracts: apex acute.
sepals 2–2.5 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 2–2.8 mm, base obtuse;
stamens 4.
sepals 2–3 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–4 mm, base obtuse;
stamens 4.
3, 1.2–2.2 mm.
2, 2–2.5 mm.
= 24.
= 12.
Plantago australis
Plantago indica
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.)
While considering the proposal made by W. L. Applequist (2006) to reject Plantago psyllium, the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants also decided that P. indica is a legitimate name (R. K. Brummitt 2009). A. B. Doweld and A. Shipunov (2017) published a proposal to reject P. indica in favor of P. arenaria. That proposal awaits a decision by that committee.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
- Local floras:
CA, 
OR - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
IL Wildflowers, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
