Plantago major
Plantago helleri
common plantain, great plantain, nippleseed, plantain majeur
Heller's plantain
0–20 mm.
0–12 mm.
20–150(–400) × 10–120(–170) mm;
petiole to 200 mm;
blade ovate to cordate-ovate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces glabrous or hirsute.
50–130 × 3–7 mm;
blade linear, margins entire, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces villous, adaxial rarely glabrous.
50–250(–500) mm, surpassing leaves or not, glabrous or hirsute.
80–250 mm, hairy, hairs patent, long and antrorse, short.
brownish or greenish, (20–)50–300(–400) mm, densely flowered;
bracts lanceolate, 0.5–1 mm, length 0.3–0.7 times sepals.
greenish, whitish, or brownish, 50–120 mm, densely flowered, flowers in whorls or pairs;
bracts triangular, 2.5–8 mm, length 0.6–2.2 times sepals.
sepals 1.5–2 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 0.5–1 mm, base obtuse;
stamens 4.
sepals 3.5–4 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 3–3.6 mm, base slightly cordate;
stamens 4, connective elongated, apex acute.
(2–)4–5 mm, dehiscing at middle.
5–35, 0.5–1 mm.
2, 3.2–3.8 mm.
= 12.
= 20.
Plantago major
Plantago helleri
Subspecies intermedia (Gilibert) Lange is often accepted by European botanists as a separate species, Plantago uliginosa F. W. Schmidt. Observations suggest that plants referable to this taxon may occur in the United States; it has been reported from the New England states (A. Haines 2011). Subspecies intermedia is distinguished by more abundant (11–35) and smaller (0.8–1 mm) seeds, ascending spikes, ovoid fruits, and elliptic or lanceolate leaf blades. Without detailed morphologic and genetic investigations of North American plants similar to the study of European plants by M. Morgan-Richards and K. Wolff (1999), it is not possible to draw any conclusions about the status and distribution of this or any other possible infraspecific taxa of P. major in North America.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Populations of Plantago helleri are concentrated in central Texas, especially in the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos. The species also occurs in Eddy and Lincoln counties, New Mexico.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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