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

plantain des sables, sand plantain

California plantain, Hooker's plantain, tallow weed

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

100–350 mm, freely branched.

0–10 mm.

Leaves

cauline, opposite, 60–80 × 1–3 mm;

blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy.

60–120 × 4–10 mm;

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

Scapes

100–650 mm, hairy.

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

Spikes

greenish or brownish, (50–)150–250 mm, densely flowered, eglandular;

bracts proximal strongly differing from distal, ovate, 2–5(–7) mm, length 1–1.5 times sepals, proximal bracts: apex acute.

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.

Flowers

sepals 2–3 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–4 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

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.

Seeds

2, 2–2.5 mm.

2, 2.4–3.4 mm.

2n

= 12.

= 20.

Plantago indica

Plantago hookeriana

Phenology Flowering late summer–fall. Flowering spring.
Habitat Roadsides, railroads, sandy shorelines. Sandy soils, disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–1300 m. (0–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; CT; DE; IA; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; VA; VT; WA; WI; BC; MB; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
from FNA
LA; MS; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

While considering the proposal made by W. L. Applequist (2006) to reject Plantago psyllium, the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants also decided that P. indica is a legitimate name (R. K. Brummitt 2009). A. B. Doweld and A. Shipunov (2017) published a proposal to reject P. indica in favor of P. arenaria. That proposal awaits a decision by that committee.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 288. FNA vol. 17, p. 287.
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. hookeriana, 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. 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. arenaria, P. psyllium P. hookeriana var. nuda
Name authority Linnaeus: Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 896. 1759, legitimacy of — name in question Fischer & C. A. Meyer: Index Seminum (St. Petersburg) 1838: 39. (1839)
Web links