The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

pineland plantain

alkali plantain, hairy fruit plantain, plantain à base velue, redwool plantain, saline plantain

Habit Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, glabrous; roots taproots, thick. Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, brown-woolly; roots taproots, thick.
Stems

0–10 mm.

0–20 mm.

Leaves

50–300 × 10–30 mm;

blade lanceolate, margins entire, sometimes toothed, veins conspicuous, laterals branching from base, surfaces sparsely hairy.

(30–)50–250 × (5–)15–70 mm;

blade lanceolate to elliptic, margins entire, veins conspicuous, laterals branching from base, surfaces glabrous or hairy.

Scapes

75–150 mm, sparsely hairy.

(40–)50–300 mm, glabrous or hairy.

Spikes

brownish or greenish, 100–450 mm, loosely flowered, rachis visible between flowers;

bracts ovate, 1 mm, length 0.5–0.6 times sepals.

brownish or greenish, (25–)80–500 mm, loosely flowered, rachis visible between flowers;

bracts broadly ovate, 2–2.5 mm, length 0.8–1.2 times sepals.

Flowers

sepals 2 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes spreading, 1 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

sepals 2–2.5 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 1–1.5 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Seeds

2, 2 mm.

2–4, 2–2.5 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 24.

Plantago sparsiflora

Plantago eriopoda

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat Moist, sandy soils, open, undisturbed pine woods. Moist meadows and prairies, wetlands, marshes, fens, ditches, stream banks, saline or alkaline soils.
Elevation 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.) 0–2900 m. (0–9500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; AZ; CA; CO; IA; ID; MN; MT; ND; NE; NM; NV; NY; OR; SD; UT; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; QC; SK; YT; Mexico (Durango)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Populations of Plantago sparsiflora occur mainly along the Atlantic coast from Columbia County, North Carolina, south to Volusia County, Florida.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 292. FNA vol. 17, p. 286.
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. media, P. ovata, P. patagonica, P. pusilla, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, 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. 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. shastensis
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 94. (1803) Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 237. (1827)
Web links