SPECIES DESCRIPTION
PLANTAGO BELLARDII subsp. DEFLEXA
Including:- Subsp. bellardii, differing from Subsp deflexa with the scapes
equalling or exceeding the leaves and remaining ascending to erect in fruit.
There is no geographical separation between the two subspecies.
Family and Genus:- See- PLANTAGINACEAE/Subgen. PLANTAGO
Common Names:- Hairy plantain
Homotypic Synonyms:- Plantago bellardii ssp. deflexa
Meaning:- Plantago (L) Foot-sole-like, (reference to the way the leaves lie flat on
the ground).
Bellardii (L) For C.A.L. Bellardi (1741-1826), Italian physician and
botanist
General description:- Annual with one or few rosettes.
Leaves:-
1) 2-7(-10) x 0·1-0·5 cm, linear-lanceolate, margins, entire or denticulate. 3-veined,
laxly to villous more or patent hairs.
Flowers:-
1) Scapes, usually 1-7, terete, densely hairy with both long and short patent hairs;
2) Spikes, 1-2(-4) cm, dense. becoming bent, arcuate-recurved, in fruit.
3) Bracts, 3-6 mm, the lower up to 8 mm, oblong-lanceolate, villous.
4) Sepals, unequal, almost free;
a) anterior, 4-5 mm, with very narrow membranous scarious, margins.
b) posterior, 3-4 mm, with wide scarious, margins.
5) Corolla-tube, c. 3·5 mm, glabrous.
a) lobes, c. 2 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate.
6) Stamens, exserted c. 2 mm.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, c. 2·5 mm.
2) Seeds, 2, c. 1·75 mm, narrowly cymbiform.
Key features:-
1) Corolla-lobes, ovate-lanceolate.
2) Scapes, erect or arcuate-recurved, but not thickened in fruit
Habitat:- Sandy coastal flats, dry open shrubby vegetation, deciduous scrub, field
margins, olive groves. 0-700(-1300) m.
Distribution:- Throughout Greece. - Mediterranean region and SW Asia eastwards
to Iran. Widespread and common on Crete.
Flowering time:- Mar-may.
Photos by:- Dr. Armin Jagel
