Plantago australis
Plantago sparsiflora
Mexican plantain
pineland plantain
0–10 mm.
0–10 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.
50–300 × 10–30 mm;
blade lanceolate, margins entire, sometimes toothed, veins conspicuous, laterals branching from base, surfaces sparsely hairy.
30–560 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, short.
75–150 mm, sparsely 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, 100–450 mm, loosely flowered, rachis visible between flowers;
bracts ovate, 1 mm, length 0.5–0.6 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 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes spreading, 1 mm, base obtuse;
stamens 4.
3, 1.2–2.2 mm.
2, 2 mm.
= 24.
= 24.
Plantago australis
Plantago sparsiflora
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.)
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.)
WildflowerSearch
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USDA Plants Database
