Plantago media |
Plantago afra |
|
---|---|---|
hoary plantain, plantain moyen |
glandular plantain |
|
Habit | Perennials; caudex glabrous or hairy; roots taproots, thick. | Annuals; roots taproots, slender. |
Stems | 0–20 mm. |
100–350 mm, freely branched. |
Leaves | prostrate, sometimes ascending, 40–200 × 30–70 mm; blade elliptic to ovate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces hairy, hairs 0.5 mm. |
cauline, opposite, 30–60 × 1–4 mm; blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or slightly toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy. |
Scapes | 80–300 mm, not groove-angled, hirsute. |
30–50 mm, hairy. |
Spikes | grayish or whitish, 100–400 mm, densely flowered, shiny; corolla lobes of neighboring flowers overlapping; bracts ovate, 1.8–2 mm, length 0.9–1 times sepals. |
greenish or brownish, 40–65 mm, densely flowered, glandular-hairy; bracts all similar, ovate, 3–5 mm, lengths 1–1.5 times sepals. |
Flowers | sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct; corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1.5 mm, base obtuse; stamens 4. |
sepals 3–3.5 mm; corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–3 mm, base obtuse; stamens 4. |
Capsules | lanceoloid. |
|
Seeds | 2–4, 2 mm. |
2, 2–3 mm. |
2n | = 12, 24. |
= 12. |
Plantago media |
Plantago afra |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer. | Flowering summer. |
Habitat | Disturbed areas, neutral and basic soils. | Disturbed habitats. |
Elevation | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) | 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) |
Distribution |
CT; IL; MA; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; WI; MB; NB; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America] |
MA; s Europe [Introduced in North America] |
Discussion | Three varieties of Plantago media have been recognized in western Europe. It is not clear how names of those varieties apply to P. media in eastern Europe and North America. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Plantago afra is known in Massachusetts from a single collection made in 1927 in Worcester County. Plantago psyllium Linnaeus (1762, not 1753), a rejected name, and P. indica Linnaeus are misapplied names that pertain here. Plantago squalida Salisbury is an illegitimate name that pertains here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 290. | FNA vol. 17, p. 284. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 168. (1762) |
Web links |