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hoary plantain, plantain moyen

evergreen plantain

Habit Perennials; caudex glabrous or hairy; roots taproots, thick. Perennials, sometimes woody; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

0–20 mm.

100–400 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 × 0.75–1 mm;

blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire, veins inconspicuous, surfaces hairy.

Scapes

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

30–80 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, 40–85 mm, densely flowered;

bracts broadly ovate, 5–6 mm, lengths equal to sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct;

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

stamens 4.

sepals 5–6 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 3–3.5 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Seeds

2–4, 2 mm.

1 or 2, 2 mm.

2n

= 12, 24.

= 12.

Plantago media

Plantago sempervirens

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat Disturbed areas, neutral and basic soils. Disturbed habitats.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 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
CA; 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 sempervirens is known from San Diego County; one specimen (JEPS) was collected in 2008 in Torrey Pines State Reserve.

Plantago cynops Linnaeus (1762, not 1753), a rejected name, has been misapplied to P. sempervirens.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 290. FNA vol. 17, p. 292.
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. 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. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753) Crantz: Inst. Rei Herb. 2: 331. (1766)
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