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arctic plantain, gray-pubescent plantain, Siberian plantain

Alaska plantain, seashore plantain

Habit Perennials; caudex usually woolly; roots taproots, thick. Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, glabrous; roots fibrous, thick.
Stems

0–20 mm.

0–20 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.

(80–)100–400(–550) × (5–)10–35(–40) mm;

blade oblanceolate or almost linear, margins entire, veins conspicuous, 4 or 5, surfaces glabrous.

Scapes

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

300–400 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy, becoming densely so distally.

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, 350–450 mm, loosely flowered;

bracts ovate to deltate, 3–4 mm, length 1.5–2.5 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct;

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

stamens 4.

sepals 1.5–2 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes spreading, 1.5–2 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Fruits

ovoid, indehiscent or dehiscence not circumscissile.

Seeds

3–7, 1–1.8 mm.

1 or 2, 4–5 mm.

2n

= 12.

= 24.

Plantago canescens

Plantago macrocarpa

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat Grassy, gravelly, and rocky slopes, cliffs. Wet places, tidal marshes, saline areas.
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
AK; OR; WA; BC; 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 macrocarpa has been documented along the Pacific coast south to the mouth of the Yachats River in Oregon.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 285. FNA vol. 17, p. 289.
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. floccosa, P. helleri, P. heterophylla, P. hookeriana, P. indica, P. lanceolata, 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) Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 1: 166. (1826)
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