Plantago sempervirens
Plantago ovata
evergreen plantain
blond plantain, desert Indian-wheat, desert plantain
100–400 mm, freely branched.
0–30 mm, often branched.
cauline, opposite, 30–60 × 0.75–1 mm;
blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire, veins inconspicuous, surfaces hairy.
10–230 × 0.5–12 mm;
blade linear or narrowly elliptic, margins toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces villous or lanate to sericeous.
30–80 mm, hairy.
10–400 mm, hairy, hairs woolly, long.
greenish or brownish, 40–85 mm, densely flowered;
bracts broadly ovate, 5–6 mm, lengths equal to sepals.
grayish or brownish, 20–400 mm, densely flowered, flowers in spirals;
bracts ovate or elliptic, 1.7–4 mm, length 0.8–1.2 times sepals, apex not reached by green nerve.
sepals 5–6 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 3–3.5 mm, base obtuse;
stamens 4.
sepals 1.9–3.5 mm;
corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1.3–2.8 mm, base cuneate;
stamens 4.
1 or 2, 2 mm.
2, 2–2.6 mm.
= 12.
= 8.
Plantago sempervirens
Plantago ovata
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.)
From molecular evidence, S. C. Meyers and A. Liston (2008) suggested that Plantago ovata was introduced to North America during the Pleistocene. They recognized four varieties; North American specimens can be treated as two varieties based on bract and corolla color: the inland var. fastigiata (E. Morris) S. C. Meyers & Liston (midribs of mature flower bracts green, corolla lobes without reddish brown midribs) and the coastal var. insularis (Eastwood) S. C. Meyers & Liston (midribs of mature flower bracts brown, corolla lobe midribs prominent, reddish brown). Unfortunately, these features are not easily seen on many herbarium specimens, and these taxa are not recognized here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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