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Heller's plantain

slender plantain

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

0–12 mm.

0–10 mm.

Leaves

50–130 × 3–7 mm;

blade linear, margins entire, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces villous, adaxial rarely glabrous.

30–80 × 1–4 mm;

blade linear, margins lobed, rarely entire, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy, sometimes glabrous.

Scapes

80–250 mm, hairy, hairs patent, long and antrorse, short.

5–60 mm, hairy, sometimes glabrous.

Spikes

greenish, whitish, or brownish, 50–120 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts triangular, 2.5–8 mm, length 0.6–2.2 times sepals.

greenish or brownish, 50–150 mm, loosely or densely flowered;

bracts ovate, 2 mm, length 0.9–1.1 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 3.5–4 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 3–3.6 mm, base slightly cordate;

stamens 4, connective elongated, apex acute.

sepals 2 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes spreading, 0.5–1 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 2.

Seeds

2, 3.2–3.8 mm.

10–25(–30), 0.5–0.8 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 12.

Plantago helleri

Plantago heterophylla

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Dry slopes and flats on limestone. Moist sandy soils.
Elevation 100–1700 m. (300–5600 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; DE; FL; GA; IL; KS; KY; LA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA [Introduced in South America (Argentina)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Populations of Plantago helleri are concentrated in central Texas, especially in the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos. The species also occurs in Eddy and Lincoln counties, New Mexico.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 287. FNA vol. 17, p. 287.
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. erecta, P. eriopoda, P. firma, P. floccosa, 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. 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
Name authority Small: Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 288. (1899) Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.s. 5: 177. (1835)
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