Plantago bellardii All.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual, acaulous, (2–)5–10 cm tall; root fibrous, filiform

Morphology Leaves

Leaves erect, linear or linear lanceolate, or linear-spatulate to oblanceolate, 5–8(–12) × 0.3–0.4(–0.6) cm, long thin pilose or yellow silky villous, usually entire or at upper part few-denticulate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles

Peduncle usually erect or arcuate-ascending, equal to or slightly shorter than leaves, (0.5–)2–5(–7) cm, pilose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Spike ovoid-globose or oblong, dense, 1–2(–4) cm long; bracts herbaceous, in lower flowers equal to calyx or usually longer, 4–7 mm, those at base ovate, then becoming long narrow or linear acuminate, midrib well formed, long-pilose and with long-ciliate margins, lateral lamina narrower than midrib; bract of upper flowers of spike shorter, ± 4 mm, sparsely short-pilose

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Anterior sepals lanceolate-ovate, 3.5–4.5 mm (longer than posterior sepals), acute, with midrib broader than lateral lamina and many-veined, long-pilose; posterior sepals elliptic, ± 3 mm, midrib as broad as lateral lamina or narrower

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla lobes lanceolate-ovate, 1.5–2 mm, acute or acuminate, reflexed, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsule globose, 2 mm long, 2-locular, each 1-seeded

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds oblong-ellipsoid, reticulate, deeply sulcate at middle.

Ecology

Upland and hillsides, limestone hill, open grasslands, along roads, cultivated wheat fields, river banks and sides of streams, dry stony pastures, in sandy, gravelly and loamy soils; alt. 20–250 m

Phenology

Flowering and fruiting: Feb.–Mar.

Distribution

Common in the Upper Plains and Foothills Region; scarce in the Lower Mesopotamian Region. Mediterranean region, and from Turkey south to Jordan and eastwards to SW Iran.

Note

A common and widespread species. Pilger recognized var. deflexa Pilger (Feddes Repert. 18: 474. 1922) based on smaller plants with smaller leaves, shorter peduncles and spikes usually less than 1 cm long. Both taxa are found in Iraq in the Upper Plains and Foothills Region, with var. deflexa more abundant in the Lower Mesopotamian Region in the Eastern and Central alluvial plains Districts.