Plantago major

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 112. 1753.

Common names: Common plantain plantain majeur
IntroducedIllustrated
Synonyms: Plantago major var. pachyphylla Pilger P. major var. pilgeri Domin P. major var. scopulorum Fries & Broberg
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 17. Treatment on page 289. Mentioned on page 281, 283, 288, 292.

Perennials, sometimes annuals; caudex absent; roots fibrous, thick. Stems 0–20 mm. Leaves 20–150 (–400) × 10–120 (–170) mm; petiole to 200 mm; blade ovate to cordate-ovate, margins entire or toothed, veins conspicuous, surfaces glabrous or hirsute. Scapes 50–250 (–500) mm, surpassing leaves or not, glabrous or hirsute. Spikes brownish or greenish, (20–) 50–300 (–400) mm, densely flowered; bracts lanceolate, 0.5–1 mm, length 0.3–0.7 times sepals. Flowers: sepals 1.5–2 mm; corolla radially symmetric, lobes reflexed, 0.5–1 mm, base obtuse; stamens 4. Fruits (2–) 4–5 mm, dehiscing at middle. Seeds 5–35, 0.5–1 mm. 2n = 12.


Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Roadsides, trails, stream banks, urban areas, lawns, other disturbed areas.
Elevation: 0–3000 m.

Distribution

Introduced; Greenland, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Eurasia, also in Mexico, Central America, South America, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia

Discussion

Subspecies intermedia (Gilibert) Lange is often accepted by European botanists as a separate species, Plantago uliginosa F. W. Schmidt. Observations suggest that plants referable to this taxon may occur in the United States; it has been reported from the New England states (A. Haines 2011). Subspecies intermedia is distinguished by more abundant (11–35) and smaller (0.8–1 mm) seeds, ascending spikes, ovoid fruits, and elliptic or lanceolate leaf blades. Without detailed morphologic and genetic investigations of North American plants similar to the study of European plants by M. Morgan-Richards and K. Wolff (1999), it is not possible to draw any conclusions about the status and distribution of this or any other possible infraspecific taxa of P. major in North America.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"-0.7timessepals" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Plantago major"
Alexey Shipunov +
Linnaeus +
alternate +, opposite +, whorled +, helical +  and subopposite +
ovate;cordate-ovate +
not +, leathery +  and fleshy +
lanceolate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
cuplike +
Common plantain +  and plantain majeur +
ligulate +, unilabiate +, regular +, personate +  and bilabiate +
semitransparent +
ovoid +, globular +, ellipsoid +, urceolate +, tubular +, cylindric +, less rotate +  and salverform +
Greenland +, St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Ala. +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Ark. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Eurasia +, also in Mexico +, Central America +, South America +, Africa +, Pacific Islands +  and Australia +
drupe-like +
0–3000 m. +
curved +  and straight +
1 +  and 4 +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
poricidal +, septicidal +, loculicidal +  and dehiscence +
ovoid +  and lanceoloid +
Roadsides, trails, stream banks, urban areas, lawns, other disturbed areas. +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br /> (17 cm170 mm <br />0.17 m <br />) +
persistent +  and deciduous +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
toothed +  and entire +
axile +  and parietal +
basal +, apical +  and superior +
tenuinucellate +, unitegmic +  and hemitropous +
campylotropous +, hemianatropous +  and anatropous +
5 +  and 4 +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
Flowering summer. +
minute +
25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br /> (50 cm500 mm <br />0.5 m <br />) +
ascending +  and erect +
hirsute +  and not glabrous +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
yellowish-brown +, dark red +, brown +  and black +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
distinct +
4 +  and 3 +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Introduced +  and Illustrated +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> (40 cm400 mm <br />0.4 m <br />) +
greenish +  and brownish +
shiny +  and dull +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
climbing +  and scrambling +
sprawling +, creeping +  and prostrate +
hairy +  and glabrous +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
elongate +
hirsute +  and glabrous +
Plantago major var. pachyphylla +, P. major var. pilgeri +  and P. major var. scopulorum +
Plantago major +
Plantago +
species +
gibbous +  and spurred +
hairy +  and glabrous +
conspicuous +
annual +  and perennial +
biennial +, perennial +  and annual +
6 +, 5 +  and 4 +