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hoary plantain, plantain moyen

arctic plantain, gray-pubescent plantain, Siberian plantain

Habit Perennials; caudex glabrous or hairy; roots taproots, thick. Perennials; caudex usually woolly; roots taproots, thick.
Stems

0–20 mm.

0–20 mm.

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.

ascending, 180–250 × 6–20 mm;

blade linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, margins entire, rarely toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces glabrate or hairy, hairs 1 mm.

Scapes

80–300 mm, not groove-angled, hirsute.

50–230 mm, not groove-angled, hairy or glabrous.

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.

grayish or whitish, 80–350 mm, usually densely flowered, shiny;

corolla lobes of neighboring flowers often overlapping;

bracts broadly ovate, 1.8–2 mm, length 0.9–1 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1.5 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct;

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

stamens 4.

Seeds

2–4, 2 mm.

3–7, 1–1.8 mm.

2n

= 12, 24.

= 12.

Plantago media

Plantago canescens

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Disturbed areas, neutral and basic soils. Grassy, gravelly, and rocky slopes, cliffs.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CT; IL; MA; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; WI; MB; NB; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; MT; AB; BC; NT; NU; YT; Asia
[BONAP county map]
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.)

N. N. Tzvelev (1983) recognized six subspecies (including two in North America) within Plantago canescens; North American material is not segregated as such here.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 290. FNA vol. 17, p. 285.
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. macrocarpa, P. major, P. maritima, 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. 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. septata
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753) Adams: Nouv. Mém. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 9: 233, plate 13, fig. 1. (1834)
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