SPECIES DESCRIPTION
PLANTAGO ALBICANS
Family and Genus:- See- PLANTAGINACEAE/Subgen. PLANTAGO
Common Names:- Downy plantain
Homotypic Synonyms:- None
Meaning:- Plantago (L) Foot-sole-like, (reference to the way the leaves lie flat on
the ground).
Albicans (L) Being white
General description:- Loosely tufted perennial.with a long, sparingly branched,
slightly woody rootstock.
Stock:-
1) With branches, 1-7 cm, covered with leaf-bases and terminal rosettes.
Leaves:-
1) Suberect (2-)5-15(-20) x (0·2-)0·5-0·8 cm, linear-lanceolate to almost linear,
entire, often undulate, obscurely 3-veined, sericeous-lanate.
Flowers:-
1) Scapes, about twice as long as the leaves, terete, tomentose.
2) Spikes, (1-)3-10 cm, dense above, usually lax or interrupted below.
3) Bracts, 3·5-4·5 mm, broadly ovate with a prominent midvein but otherwise
membranous, ciliate, shortly villous.
4) Sepals, 3-4 mm, subequal, almost free, weakly keeled to the apex, with wide
scarious margins, villous, at least towards the apex.
5) Corolla-tube, 3-4 mm, glabrous;
a) lobes, 2·5-3·5 mm, ovate, spreading to deflexed, acuminate, glabrous, straw-
coloured to brownish.
6) Stamens, exserted 4-7 mm;
a) anthers, white.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, c. 4 mm.
2) Seeds, 2, 2·5-3 mm, cymbiform.
Key features:-
1) Spikes, usually lax below.
2) Scape, about twice as long as the leaves.
3) Stamens, exserted for 4-7 mm.
Habitat:- Dry sandy and gravelly slopes, road embankments, field margins,
terraces olive groves. 0300(-800) m.
Distribution:- Aegean region. - Widespread in the Mediterranean region, extending
to Ethiopia. On Crete somewhat restricted the N & S coasts.
Flowering time:- Mid-Mar to earl June.
Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons
