Plantago indica |
Plantago ovata |
|
---|---|---|
plantain des sables, sand plantain |
blond plantain, desert Indian-wheat, desert plantain |
|
Habit | Annuals; roots taproots, slender. | Annuals; roots taproots, slender. |
Stems | 100–350 mm, freely branched. |
0–30 mm, often branched. |
Leaves | cauline, opposite, 60–80 × 1–3 mm; blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy. |
10–230 × 0.5–12 mm; blade linear or narrowly elliptic, margins toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces villous or lanate to sericeous. |
Scapes | 100–650 mm, hairy. |
10–400 mm, hairy, hairs woolly, long. |
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. |
grayish or brownish, 20–400 mm, densely flowered, flowers in spirals; bracts ovate or elliptic, 1.7–4 mm, length 0.8–1.2 times sepals, apex not reached by green nerve. |
Flowers | sepals 2–3 mm; corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–4 mm, base obtuse; stamens 4. |
sepals 1.9–3.5 mm; corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1.3–2.8 mm, base cuneate; stamens 4. |
Seeds | 2, 2–2.5 mm. |
2, 2–2.6 mm. |
2n | = 12. |
= 8. |
Plantago indica |
Plantago ovata |
|
Phenology | Flowering late summer–fall. | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Roadsides, railroads, sandy shorelines. | Sandy deserts and steppes. |
Elevation | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) | 0–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.) |
Distribution |
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] |
AZ; CA; NV; TX; UT; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora); Eurasia; Africa
|
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.) |
From molecular evidence, S. C. Meyers and A. Liston (2008) suggested that Plantago ovata was introduced to North America during the Pleistocene. They recognized four varieties; North American specimens can be treated as two varieties based on bract and corolla color: the inland var. fastigiata (E. Morris) S. C. Meyers & Liston (midribs of mature flower bracts green, corolla lobes without reddish brown midribs) and the coastal var. insularis (Eastwood) S. C. Meyers & Liston (midribs of mature flower bracts brown, corolla lobe midribs prominent, reddish brown). Unfortunately, these features are not easily seen on many herbarium specimens, and these taxa are not recognized here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 288. | FNA vol. 17, p. 290. |
Parent taxa | Plantaginaceae > Plantago | Plantaginaceae > Plantago |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | P. arenaria, P. psyllium | P. insularis, P. insularis var. fastigiata |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 896. 1759, legitimacy of — name in question | Forsskål: Fl. Aegypt.-Arab., 31. (1775) |
Web links |
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