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

dwarf plantain, little plantain, woolly indianwheat, woolly plantain

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

0–20 mm.

0–5 mm.

Leaves

20–120 × 4–25 mm;

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

20–70 × 1–2 mm;

blade linear, margins entire, sometimes toothed, veins conspicuous or not, surfaces hairy or glabrous.

Scapes

30–240 mm, hairy, hairs patent, long.

15–60 mm, hairy, sometimes glabrous.

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, 20–100 mm, loosely or densely flowered;

bracts triangular-ovate, 1.5–2 mm, length 0.9–1.1 times sepals.

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 1.5–2 mm;

corolla radially symmetric, lobes erect, forming a beak, 0.5 mm, base obtuse;

stamens 2.

Seeds

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

4, 0.8–1.3 mm.

2n

= 24.

= 12.

Plantago virginica

Plantago pusilla

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering spring–early summer.
Habitat Sandy soils, disturbed areas. Dry to moist, sandy, alluvial soils.
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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NY; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Plantago pusilla is considered to be introduced in Oregon and Washington, and possibly in California.

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

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 293. FNA vol. 17, p. 291.
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. indica, P. lanceolata, P. macrocarpa, P. major, P. maritima, P. media, P. ovata, P. patagonica, P. rhodosperma, P. rugelii, P. sempervirens, P. sparsiflora, P. subnuda, P. tweedyi, P. virginica, P. wrightiana
Synonyms P. virginica var. viridescens P. hybrida, P. pusilla var. major
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 113. (1753) Nuttall: Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 100. (1818)
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