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California plantain, Hooker's plantain, tallow weed

bottlebrush indianwheat, bract plantain, bristly plantain, large bract plantain

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

0–10 mm.

20–40 mm.

Leaves

60–120 × 4–10 mm;

blade linear, margins toothed (teeth to 4 mm), rarely entire, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces villous or sericeous.

30–200 × 3–7 mm;

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

Scapes

280–580 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, long and short.

100–500 mm, hairy, hairs antrorse, long and short.

Spikes

greenish or brownish, 50–180 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts ovate or triangular, 1.5–6 mm, length 0.6–1.4 times sepals, apex acute or acuminate.

greenish or brownish, 80–150 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;

bracts almost linear, 15–30 mm, length 2–12 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2.5–4 mm;

corolla bilaterally symmetric, abaxial and lateral lobes reflexed, adaxial erect, 2.2–2.5 mm, base slightly cordate;

stamens 4, connective significantly elongated, apex acute.

sepals 2.7–3.7 mm;

corolla bilaterally symmetric, lobes reflexed, adaxials 1.4–2.3 mm, laterals symmetric, base deeply cordate;

stamens 4, connective elongated, apex acute.

Seeds

2, 2.4–3.4 mm.

2, 2.5–2.9 mm.

2n

= 20.

= 20.

Plantago hookeriana

Plantago aristata

Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Sandy soils, disturbed areas. Roadsides, pastures, disturbed ground.
Elevation 0–1300 m. (0–4300 ft.) 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
LA; MS; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; NS; ON [Introduced in Central America, Europe, Asia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plantago aristata is similar to P. patagonica; the latter is distinguished by its dense, villous indument.

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

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. heterophylla, 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. 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
Synonyms P. hookeriana var. nuda P. patagonica var. aristata, P. purshii var. aristata
Name authority Fischer & C. A. Meyer: Index Seminum (St. Petersburg) 1838: 39. (1839) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 95. (1803)
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