The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Heller's plantain

dwarf plantain, little plantain, woolly indianwheat, woolly plantain

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

0–12 mm.

0–5 mm.

Leaves

50–130 × 3–7 mm;

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

20–70 × 1–2 mm;

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

Scapes

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

15–60 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, 20–100 mm, loosely or densely flowered;

bracts triangular-ovate, 1.5–2 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 1.5–2 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 0.5 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 2.

Seeds

2, 3.2–3.8 mm.

4, 0.8–1.3 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 12.

Plantago helleri

Plantago pusilla

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Dry slopes and flats on limestone. Dry to moist, sandy, alluvial 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; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WA
[WildflowerSearch 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.)

Plantago pusilla is considered to be introduced in Oregon and Washington, and possibly in California.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 287. FNA vol. 17, p. 291.
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. heterophylla, P. hookeriana, P. indica, P. lanceolata, P. macrocarpa, P. major, P. maritima, P. media, P. ovata, P. patagonica, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
Synonyms P. hybrida, P. pusilla var. major
Name authority Small: Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 1: 288. (1899) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 100. (1818)
Web links