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

slender plantain

Wright's plantain

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

0–10 mm.

10–40 mm.

Leaves

30–80 × 1–4 mm;

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

60–160 × 3–5 mm;

blade linear, margins entire, veins conspicuous or not, abaxial surface villous, adaxial glabrous, rarely sparsely villous.

Scapes

5–60 mm, hairy, sometimes glabrous.

800–1600 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, (20–)150–250 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts ovate or triangular, 1–3.5 mm, length 0.4–0.8 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm;

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

stamens 2.

sepals 3–4 mm;

corolla bilaterally symmetric, lobes reflexed, adaxials 2.4–3 mm, laterals asymmetric, base cordate;

stamens 4, connective elongated, apex acute.

Seeds

10–25(–30), 0.5–0.8 mm.

2, 2.8–3.2 mm.

2n

= 12.

= 20.

Plantago heterophylla

Plantago wrightiana

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Moist sandy soils. Sandy and gravelly soils, roadsides.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–1000(–1300) m. (0–3300(–4300) 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
AL; AR; AZ; FL; GA; KS; KY; LA; MD; MS; NC; NM; OK; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 17, p. 287. FNA vol. 17, p. 293.
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. 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
Name authority Nuttall: Trans. Amer. Philos. Soc., n.s. 5: 177. (1835) Decaisne: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(1): 712. (1852)
Web links