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arctic plantain, gray-pubescent plantain, Siberian plantain

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

Habit Perennials; caudex usually woolly; roots taproots, thick. Annuals; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

0–20 mm.

20–40 mm.

Leaves

ascending, 180–250 × 6–20 mm;

blade linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, margins entire, rarely toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces glabrate or hairy, hairs 1 mm.

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.

Scapes

50–230 mm, not groove-angled, hairy or glabrous.

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

Spikes

grayish or whitish, 80–350 mm, usually densely flowered, shiny;

corolla lobes of neighboring flowers often overlapping;

bracts broadly ovate, 1.8–2 mm, length 0.9–1 times sepals.

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

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

Flowers

sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

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.

Seeds

3–7, 1–1.8 mm.

2, 2.5–2.9 mm.

2n

= 12.

= 20.

Plantago canescens

Plantago aristata

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Grassy, gravelly, and rocky slopes, cliffs. Roadsides, pastures, disturbed ground.
Elevation 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.) 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; MT; AB; BC; NT; NU; YT; Asia
[BONAP county map]
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]
Discussion

N. N. Tzvelev (1983) recognized six subspecies (including two in North America) within Plantago canescens; North American material is not segregated as such here.

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

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. 285. FNA vol. 17, p. 284.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Plantago Plantaginaceae > Plantago
Sibling taxa
P. afra, P. argyrea, P. aristata, P. australis, 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. 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. septata P. patagonica var. aristata, P. purshii var. aristata
Name authority Adams: Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 9: 233, plate 13, fig. 1. (1834) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 95. (1803)
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