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Mexican plantain

dwarf plantain, pale-seed plantain, paleseed indianwheat, Virginia plantain

Habit Perennials; caudex glabrous; roots fibrous, stout. Annuals; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

0–10 mm.

0–20 mm.

Leaves

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.

20–120 × 4–25 mm;

blade obovate or narrowly obovate, margins toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces pilose or glabrate.

Scapes

30–560 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, short.

30–240 mm, hairy, hairs patent, long.

Spikes

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 yellowish, 38–260 mm, densely or loosely flowered;

bracts narrowly ovate or ovate, 1.6–2.5 mm, length 0.7–1 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2–2.5 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 2–2.8 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

sepals 1.5–2.4 mm, apex obtuse;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 1.1–2.9 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Seeds

3, 1.2–2.2 mm.

2, brown or yellowish brown, 1.6–2 mm, adaxial face deeply concave.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Plantago australis

Plantago virginica

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Open places. Sandy soils, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–1000 m. (0–3300 ft.) 0–2300 m. (0–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; Mexico; Central America; South America
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from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON; n Mexico
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Discussion

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.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 284. FNA vol. 17, p. 293.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Plantago Plantaginaceae > Plantago
Sibling taxa
P. afra, P. argyrea, P. aristata, 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. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. wrightiana
Synonyms P. australis subsp. hirtella, P. hirtella, P. hirtella var. galeottiana, P. hirtella var. mollior P. virginica var. viridescens
Name authority Lamarck: in J. Lamarck and J. L. M. Poiret, Tabl. Encycl. 1: 339. (1792) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753)
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