PLANTAGO MAJOR ssp. MAJOR

Family:- PLANTAGINACEAE/Subgen. PLANTAGO

Common Names:- Greater plantain

Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Plantago (L) Foot-sole-like, (reference to the way the leaves lie flat

on the ground).

Major (L) Larger, greater, bigger.

Plant:- Perennial with one or few rosettes

Leaves:- (1·5-)5-30(-40) x (0·5-)3-10(-15) cm; blades (lamina) ovate to elliptical,

entire or irregularly edged with tooth-like projections (dentate), 5- to 9-veined, ±

cordate at the base, thick, dark green, almost hairless (glabrescent); stalk

(petiole) as long as lamina or shorter. Scapes equalling or exceeding leaves, with

parallel longitudinal grooves (striate) or circular in cross section (terete), with

short, appressed or ascending hairs; spikes narrowed above; as long as or

shorter than rest of the scape, dense. Bracts 1-2 mm, ovate, glabrous.

Flower:- Sepals 1·5-2·5 mm, subequal, glabrous, green, with narrow thin and dry

(scarious) margins. Corolla-tube c. 2 mm, glabrous; lobes c. 1 mm, lanceolate to

ovate, subobtuse, glabrous. Stamens protruding (exserted) 2-3 mm.

Fruit:- Capsule 2-4 mm; seeds (4-)6-10(-13). mm, ellipsoid or ellipsoid-obtusely

3-angled (trigonous)

Key features:-

1) Bracts more than half as long as sepals.

2) Seeds (4-)6-10(-13). mm, ellipsoid or ellipsoid-trigonous.

Habitat:- Seasonally damp, often trampled ruderalised habitats. 0-1300 m.

Distribution:- Widespread throughout the Mediterranean. Limited distribution

across Crete, known from only a few locations in the centre and west.

Flowering time:- Apr-Aug.

Photos by:- Kind permission of Saxifraga - Free Nature Images

FAMILY AND GENUS DESCRIPTIONS

PLANTAGINACEAE

General description:- Herbs or dwarf shrubs.

Leaves:- Usually in basal rosettes, sometimes opposite or alternate, without

stipules (exstipulate).

Flowers:- 2-4 petalled (2-4-merous), radially symmetrica (actinomorphic), usually

hermaphrodite, bracteate, usually in spikes. Sepals joined margin to margin

(connate) at base, persistent. Corolla with joined petals (gamopetalous), narrow

thin and dry (scarious). Filaments long; anthers conspicuous. Ovary superior, 1-

to 4-compartments (locular); style 1; ovules 1 to many, axile or basal.

Fruit:- Capsule, opening by a slit running around the circumference

(circumscissile) or not splitting open to release their seeds (indehiscent); seed

with straight embryo surrounded food-storage tissue (endospermic), often slimey

(mucilaginous) when wet.

PLANTAGO

General description:- Terrestrial herbs or dwarf shrubs.

Leaves:- In basal rosettes, or opposite or alternate on branched stems.

Flowers:- 4-merous, in pedunculate spikes, usually hermaphrodite. Corolla-lobes

usually patent or deflexed. Stamens inserted on corolla-tube. Ovary 2- to 4-locular

ovules 2-many.

Fruit:- Capsule circumscissile, 2-to 4-locular.

Measurements of the leaves include the petiole, descriptions of bracts refer to

those in the middle of the spike unless otherwise indicated, and measurements

of scape length include the spike.

Key features:-

1) Stolons absent.

2) Flowers mostly hermaphrodite.

3) Fruit a circumscissile capsule.

Subgen. PLANTAGO

Leaves:- In basal rosettes or alternate.