Family: Plantaginaceae
Plantago major
Citation:
L., Sp. Pl. 112 (1753) subsp. major.
Synonymy: Not Applicable Common name: Greater plantain.
Description:
Short-lived perennial herbs with all leaves in a basal rosette on fleshy rootstock with adventitious roots; leaves with a petiole up to 25 cm long including the sheathing base; blade ovate to broadly elliptic, 4-22 x 2.5-12 cm, bluntly acute to rounded, usually with shallow widely spaced teeth, usually with 5 or 7 main veins, pubescent to glabrescent.
Spike cylindrical often sparse at the base, 8-25 rarely 4-30 cm long; peduncle 4-26 cm long, terete, with scattered short ascending hairs, the lower flowers usually at the same level as the apex of the leaves; bracts ovate-oblong, with narrow membranous margins and a broad herbaceous centre; sepals broadly ovate, 2-2.5 mm long, subequal, with membranous margins on either side of the herbaceous central ridge; corolla tube c. 2.5 mm long; lobes lanceolate to ovate, up to 2 mm long; anthers almost orbicular.
Capsule ovoid to almost globular, 4-5.5 mm long; seeds 8-14, c. 2 mm long, angular-elliptic, rugose.
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Image source: fig. 614H in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).
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Published illustration:
Ross-Craig (1968) Drawings Brit. Pl. 25:pl. 5.
Distribution:
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Weed of moist areas and often along streams.
S.Aust.: NL, MU, SL, KI, SE. All States except the N.T. New Zealand; native to and/or naturalised in temperate Eurasia and North America.
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Conservation status:
naturalised
Flowering time: mainly in summer.
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SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Taxonomic notes:
The South Australian material is not easily identified as one of the varieties distinguished by Pilger (1937), Planzenreich 4, 269:43.
Author:
Not yet available
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