General:
Perennial (rarely annual) herb from a sometimes woolly, short-branched crown and a taproot; stems ascending to erect, several, simple or rarely short branched, smooth or spreading-hairy, 5-25 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lanceolate or more often linear, 12-22 cm long, tapering gradually into the winged stalks, entire or irregularly short-toothed, smooth or slightly hairy, 3- to 5 (7)-veined; stem leaves lacking.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of dense or lax, bracteate spikes, 2-10 cm long; corollas greenish, hairy outside, 4-lobed, the lobes 1-1.5 mm long, spreading; bracts broadly egg-shaped, shorter than the flowers, minutely fringed; stamens conspicuous.

Fruits:
Capsules, egg-shaped to broadly conic, 3-4 mm long; seeds 2-4, ellipsoid, about 2 mm long, brown or black, flat on the inner surface.

Source:  The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

"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.