11. Plantago virginica L. (hoary plantain, pale-seeded plantain)
P. virginica var. viridescens Fernald
Pl. 488 a, b;
Map 2230
Plants annual,
with taproots. Aerial stems absent or very short. Leaves in a dense basal
rosette, sometimes the larger leaves with a more or less well-differentiated
petiole (1–6 cm long), usually pale at the base, spreading to ascending. Leaf
blades 1–10(–20) cm long, 4–35 mm wide, narrowly to broadly oblanceolate,
obovate, or occasionally spatulate, rarely elliptic-oblanceolate, angled to a
bluntly or sharply pointed tip, tapered at the base, the margins entire or
sparsely and inconspicuously toothed (rarely with relatively large, widely
spaced, spreading teeth), hairy, the surfaces moderately pubescent with more or
less spreading hairs, appearing green to yellowish green or pale green, with
3–7 main veins. Inflorescences 1 to several per plant, terminal, elongate
spikes, (1–)3–15(–25) cm long, 5–9 mm in diameter, densely flowered (the axis
not visible between the flowers), the stalk (0.5–)2–15 cm long,
spreading-hairy, the axis solid. Bracts 1.0–2.5 mm long, similar in length,
mostly shorter than the flowers, broadly lanceolate to ovate, with narrow to
broad, translucent margins and a thickened, bluntly keeled, green midnerve,
rounded or angled to a bluntly pointed tip, hairy, at least along the midnerve.
Cleistogamous flowers usually abundant. Calyces deeply 4-lobed, 1.5–2.7 mm
long, slightly zygomorphic, oblong-obovate, rounded at the tip, the keel hairy,
the relatively broad margins thin and papery. Corollas slightly zygomorphic,
the lobes 0.8–2.3 mm long, narrowly to broadly lanceolate with a shallowly
cordate base, sharply pointed at the tip, the margins entire, tan, lighter at
the base, the upper lobe slightly shorter than the others, all of the other
lobes erect and overlapping or less commonly spreading during flowering, but
becoming erect soon afterward. Stamens 4, the anthers not horned. Fruits
2.5–3.8 mm long, narrowly ellipsoid, circumscissile below the midpoint. Seeds
usually 2 per fruit, 1.4–2.0 mm long, narrowly ovate, the surface relatively deeply
concave on 1 side, otherwise finely pitted or finely wrinkled to nearly smooth,
yellowish brown to black, dull. 2n=12, 24. April–June.
Common
throughout the state (eastern U.S. west to South Dakota, Arizona, California
and Oregon; Canada, Mexico, Caribbean Islands; introduced in Europe, Asia).
Glades, upland prairies, loess hill prairies, sand prairies, savannas, banks of
streams and rivers, margins of sinkhole ponds, and ledges and tops of bluffs;
also pastures, old fields, fallow fields, railroads, roadsides, and open,
disturbed area.
This short-lived
plant is among the most variable species in the genus in terms of overall size,
leaf shape, and pubescence. In some dry or sandy habitats, tiny plants occur
that nevertheless successfully flower and fruit.