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slender plantain

saltmeadow plantain

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

0–10 mm.

0–20 mm.

Leaves

30–80 × 1–4 mm;

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

45–140 × 1.5–4 mm;

blade linear, margins entire, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces sericeous, rarely lanate.

Scapes

5–60 mm, hairy, sometimes glabrous.

300–1300 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, long and short.

Spikes

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

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

greenish or brownish, 70–200 mm, densely or loosely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts ovate, 1.5–2 mm, length 0.4–0.7 times sepals, apex acute.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm;

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

stamens 2.

sepals 2.6–3.3 mm;

corolla bilaterally symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1.7–2.6 mm, base cordate;

stamens 4, connective slightly elongated, apex obtuse.

Seeds

10–25(–30), 0.5–0.8 mm.

2, 2.3–2.8 mm.

2n

= 12.

Plantago heterophylla

Plantago argyrea

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Moist sandy soils. Clearings in forests.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 700–2900 m. (2300–9500 ft.)
Distribution
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]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Baja California, Chihuahua)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 287. 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. 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
P. afra, 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
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.s. 5: 177. (1835) E. Morris: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 27: 111. (1900)
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