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slender plantain

Chilean plantain

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

0–10 mm.

0–10 mm.

Leaves

30–80 × 1–4 mm;

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

20–50 × 2–15 mm;

blade narrowly obovate or narrowly elliptic, margins toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces densely pilose or glabrate.

Scapes

5–60 mm, hairy, sometimes glabrous.

10–50 mm, hairy, hairs appressed or nearly patent.

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, 40–60 mm, densely flowered;

bracts triangular, 2–3.1 mm, length 0.7–1.1 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm;

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

stamens 2.

sepals 1.8–2.8 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes patent or erect, forming a beak, 1.7–3.1 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Seeds

10–25(–30), 0.5–0.8 mm.

2, 1.5–2.2 mm, adaxial face flat.

2n

= 12.

= 24.

Plantago heterophylla

Plantago firma

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering fall.
Habitat Moist sandy soils. Sandy soils.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–1000 m. (0–3300 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
CA; South America (Chile) [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plantago firma has been known in California, especially in Marin County, since at least 1896, but the most recent collection known was made in 1957.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 287. FNA vol. 17, p. 286.
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. argyrea, P. aristata, P. australis, P. canescens, P. cordata, P. coronopus, P. elongata, P. erecta, P. eriopoda, 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. truncata subsp. firma
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.s. 5: 177. (1835) Kunze ex Walpers: Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop. Carol. Nat. Cur. 19, suppl. 1: 402. (1843)
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