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arctic plantain, gray-pubescent plantain, Siberian plantain

floccose plantain

Habit Perennials; caudex usually woolly; roots taproots, thick. Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, glabrous or hairy; roots several taproots, fragile.
Stems

0–20 mm.

0–30 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.

50–220 × 9–60 mm;

blade elliptic to narrowly elliptic, margins with inconspicuous teeth, veins conspicuous, surfaces hairy, adaxial surface hairs floccose, slender, 4–6 × 0.01–0.03 mm.

Scapes

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

55–220 mm, lanate, hairs variously directed, long.

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, 200–500 mm, densely flowered, flowers less crowded proximally;

bracts narrowly triangular or triangular, 2–2.8 mm, lengths 0.9–1 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct;

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

stamens 4.

sepals 1.9–2.7 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 2–2.9 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Seeds

3–7, 1–1.8 mm.

3, 1.8–2.4 mm.

2n

= 12.

Plantago canescens

Plantago floccosa

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Grassy, gravelly, and rocky slopes, cliffs. Roadsides.
Elevation 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.) 0–300 m. (0–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; MT; AB; BC; NT; NU; YT; Asia
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
FL; Mexico (Hidalgo, México, Querétaro, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Veracruz) [Introduced in North America]
[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.)

According to J. Burkhalter (pers. comm.), Plantago floccosa is well established in northwestern Florida near the border with Alabama.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 285. FNA vol. 17, p. 287.
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. aristata, P. australis, P. canescens, P. cordata, P. coronopus, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. eriopoda, P. firma, 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
Name authority Adams: Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 9: 233, plate 13, fig. 1. (1834) Decaisne: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(1): 723. (1852)
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