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Tweedy's plantain

hoary plantain, plantain moyen

Habit Perennials; caudex well developed, conspicuous, glabrous; roots taproots, thick. Perennials; caudex glabrous or hairy; roots taproots, thick.
Stems

0–20 mm.

0–20 mm.

Leaves

40–200 × 10–30 mm;

blade lanceolate-spatulate to narrowly ovate, margins entire, sometimes toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces usually glabrous.

prostrate, sometimes ascending, 40–200 × 30–70 mm;

blade elliptic to ovate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces hairy, hairs 0.5 mm.

Scapes

25–200 mm, slightly surpassing leaves, glabrous.

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

Spikes

brownish or greenish, 45–250 mm, densely flowered, rachis not clearly visible between flowers;

bracts broadly ovate, 2 mm, length 0.8–1 times sepals.

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.

Flowers

sepals 2–2.5 mm;

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

stamens 4.

sepals 2 mm, adaxial 2 nearly distinct;

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

stamens 4.

Seeds

3 or 4, 2–2.3 mm.

2–4, 2 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 12, 24.

Plantago tweedyi

Plantago media

Phenology Flowering summer. Flowering summer.
Habitat Grasslands, sagebrush steppes, montane and subalpine meadows. Disturbed areas, neutral and basic soils.
Elevation 1600–4000 m. (5200–13100 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; ID; MT; NM; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CT; IL; MA; ME; MI; NH; NJ; NY; PA; RI; WI; MB; NB; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
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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.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 293. FNA vol. 17, p. 290.
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. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, 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. ovata, P. patagonica, P. pusilla, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
Name authority A. Gray: in A. Gray et al., Syn. Fl. N. Amer. ed. 2, 2(1): 390. (1886) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753)
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