Plantago canescens M.F. Adams
arctic plantain (gray pubescent plantain; Siberian plantain)
Plantaginaceae (Mare's-tail family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
arctic plantain (gray pubescent plantain; Siberian plantain)
Plantaginaceae (Mare's-tail family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Species Information
General:
Perennial herb from a stout taproot; stems erect, several, simple, inconspicuously hairy, not furrowed, 5-30 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves narrowly elliptic to oblong or linear, 5-25 cm long, 0.3-2.5 cm wide, entire, 3- to 5-veined; stem leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of dense bracteate spikes, the spikes elongate, 1.5-8 cm long; corollas greenish, 4-lobed, the lobes 1.5-2 mm long, spreading; bracts egg-shaped, shorter than the sepals, fringed; stamens conspicuous.
Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped, 3-3.5 mm long; seeds 4, elliptic to egg-shaped, brown to black, 1-2 mm long.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Mesic meadows, grassy slopes and roadsides in the montane and subalpine zones; rare in SE BC, also frequent just N of 60degreeN in YT; amphiberingian, N to AK, YT and NT, disjunct in SW AB and MT; E Asia.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Plantago canescens var. cylindrica (Macoun) Boivin
Plantago septata Morris ex Rydb.
Taxonomic Notes
"The family Plantaginaceae includes three genera and an estimated 250-275 species from diverse habitats throughout the world (Pilger 1937). In Canada, the family is represented by two genera containing seven introduced species and ten native species (Bassett 1973).
References Bassett, I. John. 1973. The Plantains of Canada. Monograph No. 7. Canada Department of Agriculture. |