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dwarf plantain, pale-seed plantain, paleseed indianwheat, Virginia plantain

plantain des sables, sand plantain

Habit Annuals; roots taproots, slender. Annuals; roots taproots, slender.
Stems

0–20 mm.

100–350 mm, freely branched.

Leaves

20–120 × 4–25 mm;

blade obovate or narrowly obovate, margins toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces pilose or glabrate.

cauline, opposite, 60–80 × 1–3 mm;

blade linear to linear-lanceolate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy.

Scapes

30–240 mm, hairy, hairs patent, long.

100–650 mm, hairy.

Spikes

greenish or yellowish, 38–260 mm, densely or loosely flowered;

bracts narrowly ovate or ovate, 1.6–2.5 mm, length 0.7–1 times sepals.

greenish or brownish, (50–)150–250 mm, densely flowered, eglandular;

bracts proximal strongly differing from distal, ovate, 2–5(–7) mm, length 1–1.5 times sepals, proximal bracts: apex acute.

Flowers

sepals 1.5–2.4 mm, apex obtuse;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 1.1–2.9 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

sepals 2–3 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 2–4 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 4.

Seeds

2, brown or yellowish brown, 1.6–2 mm, adaxial face deeply concave.

2, 2–2.5 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 12.

Plantago virginica

Plantago indica

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Sandy soils, disturbed areas. Roadsides, railroads, sandy shorelines.
Elevation 0–2300 m. (0–7500 ft.) 0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON; n Mexico
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[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CT; DE; IA; IL; IN; MA; ME; MI; MN; MO; NC; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; VA; VT; WA; WI; BC; MB; ON; QC; Eurasia [Introduced in North America]
Discussion

While considering the proposal made by W. L. Applequist (2006) to reject Plantago psyllium, the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants also decided that P. indica is a legitimate name (R. K. Brummitt 2009). A. B. Doweld and A. Shipunov (2017) published a proposal to reject P. indica in favor of P. arenaria. That proposal awaits a decision by that committee.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 293. FNA vol. 17, p. 288.
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. tweedyi, 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. 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. virginica var. viridescens P. arenaria, P. psyllium
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753) Linnaeus: Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 2: 896. 1759, legitimacy of — name in question
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