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Alaska plantain, seashore plantain

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

Habit Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, glabrous; roots fibrous, thick. Annuals; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

0–20 mm.

20–40 mm.

Leaves

(80–)100–400(–550) × (5–)10–35(–40) mm;

blade oblanceolate or almost linear, margins entire, veins conspicuous, 4 or 5, surfaces glabrous.

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

300–400 mm, glabrous or sparsely hairy, becoming densely so distally.

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

Spikes

greenish or brownish, 350–450 mm, loosely flowered;

bracts ovate to deltate, 3–4 mm, length 1.5–2.5 times sepals.

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 1.5–2 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes spreading, 1.5–2 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

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.

Fruits

ovoid, indehiscent or dehiscence not circumscissile.

Seeds

1 or 2, 4–5 mm.

2, 2.5–2.9 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 20.

Plantago macrocarpa

Plantago aristata

Phenology Flowering late spring–early summer. Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Wet places, tidal marshes, saline areas. Roadsides, pastures, disturbed ground.
Elevation 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AK; OR; WA; BC; Asia
[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 macrocarpa has been documented along the Pacific coast south to the mouth of the Yachats River in Oregon.

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

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. 289. 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. hookeriana, P. indica, P. lanceolata, 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. patagonica var. aristata, P. purshii var. aristata
Name authority Chamisso & Schlechtendal: Linnaea 1: 166. (1826) Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 95. (1803)
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