Plantago L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 112 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Cosmopolitan.

Descriptions

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Herbs, annual or perennial with ± woody base and herbaceous shoots, usually with rosulate foliage
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a spike on a scape or peduncle
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers all bisexual, sessile and bracteate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 4, imbricate, in some species the two anterior sepals connate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 4-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens usually 4
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary (in Iraq plants) usually 2-locular; ovules 1-many in each locule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit (in Iraq plants) a capsule dehiscing by a transverse circular slit, or in some species a nutlet.
Distribution
About 200 species, cosmopolitan in distribution. Several species are polymorphic showing great variations in their vegetative features which has led to the recognition of many infraspecific taxa.
Note
Plantago comes from the Latin “planta”, a footprint.
[FIQ]

Plantaginaceae, G. Lehmann. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial, terrestrial, caulescent or mostly acaulescent herbs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually in radical rosettes or opposite or alternate on branched stems, various in shape, usually entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a pedunculate, cylindrical spike or head, with inconspicuous flowers, each subtended by a bract.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers almost always hermaphrodite, 4-merous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx about as long as the corolla tube.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla 4-lobed, somewhat scarious; tube campanulate-tubular or urceolate; lobes lanceolate or ovate, shorter than the tube, usually with membranous margins or deflexed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4, inserted in the corolla tube, alternating with the corolla lobes, exserted; filaments slender.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk rare.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary globose or nearly so, bilocular, ovules 1-many in each locule; style usually much exserted and villous, more rarely included; stigma simple.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a membranous capsule, circumscissile.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1-many in each locule, usually more or less boat-shaped with ventral hilum, mucilaginous when wet; albumen fleshy; embryo straight or curved; radicle inferior.
[FZ]

Plantaginaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial, terrestrial, caulescent or mostly acaulescent herbs or suffruticose herbs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually all radical but sometimes, in the species with developed stems, cauline
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers nearly always hermaphrodite, 4-merous, in heads or cylindrical spikes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens inserted in the corolla-tube
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 2-4-locular; ovules 1-many in each locule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule circumscissile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1-many in each locule, usually ± boat-shaped with ventral hilum; albumen fleshy; embryo straight or curved; radicle inferior.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0