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California plantain, dotseed plantain, erect dwarf plantain

glandular plantain

Habit Annuals; roots taproots, slender. Annuals; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

0–10 mm.

100–350 mm, freely branched.

Leaves

50–120 × 1–4 mm;

blade linear, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces villous or lanate, rarely glabrate.

cauline, opposite, 30–60 × 1–4 mm;

blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or slightly toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy.

Scapes

200–1500 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, long and short.

30–50 mm, hairy.

Spikes

greenish or brownish, 70–150 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts ovate, 1–2 mm, length 0.3–0.8 times sepals.

greenish or brownish, 40–65 mm, densely flowered, glandular-hairy;

bracts all similar, ovate, 3–5 mm, lengths 1–1.5 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2.5–3.4 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–2.7 mm, base obtuse or slightly cordate;

stamens 4, connective elongated, apex acute.

sepals 3–3.5 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–3 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Capsules

lanceoloid.

Seeds

2, 2.1–2.9 mm.

2, 2–3 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 12.

Plantago erecta

Plantago afra

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer.
Habitat Dunes, grassy hills and flats, clearings in woods. Disturbed habitats.
Elevation -50–1400 m. (-200–4600 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MA; s Europe [Introduced in North America]
Discussion

Plantago afra is known in Massachusetts from a single collection made in 1927 in Worcester County.

Plantago psyllium Linnaeus (1762, not 1753), a rejected name, and P. indica Linnaeus are misapplied names that pertain here. Plantago squalida Salisbury is an illegitimate name that pertains here.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 286. FNA vol. 17, p. 284.
Parent taxa Plantaginaceae > Plantago Plantaginaceae > Plantago
Sibling taxa
P. afra, P. argyrea, P. aristata, P. australis, P. canescens, P. cordata, P. coronopus, P. elongata, 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. 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. virginica, P. wrightiana
Synonyms P. patagonica var. californica, P. erecta subsp. rigidior, P. hookeriana var. californica
Name authority E. Morris: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 118. (1900) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 168. (1762)
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