Plantaginaceae A.L. de Jussieu
Plantain family.
Plantaginaceae, plantain family.
Vegetative morphology. Plants perennial herbs; 3–25(–30) cm high; caespitose; tufted with basal linear or lanceolate leaves and spicate heads of small flowers. Taproot present. Caudex present. Ground-level or under-ground stems vertical and often branched. Leaves in a basal tuft; alternate, or whorled; marcescent. Petioles present, or absent; 2–50 mm long (if applicable); glabrous, or hairy. Ligules absent (although the leaves are sometimes grass-like). Blades (10–)15–90 mm long; 0.8–8 mm wide. Blades spreading; herbaceous, or succulent; linear, or lanceolate; flat; veins parallel, or with inconspicuous veins. Blades adaxial surface glabrous, or hairy. Blades adaxial surface hairs pilose (if applicable); sparse; white and translucent. Blades abaxial surface glabrous, or hairy. Blades abaxial surface hairs sparse, or moderately dense. Blades abaxial surface pilose. Blades abaxial surface hairs white, or translucent hairs and a mixture of white and yellow hairs (if applicable); curved, or wavy; spreading. Blade margins entire, or dentate (very slightly); with teeth all around the blade (if applicable). Leaf apices acuminate, or acute.
Reproductive morphology. Flowering stems present. Flowering stems without leaves; hairy. Inflorescence head-like and spicate; dense; linear, or oblong, or lanceolate, or cylindrical; 0.5–3(–4) cm long; 5–10 mm wide. Pedicels absent. Inflorescence a single spike. Flowers per inflorescence (5–)10–80; small, less than 5 mm in diameter or length. Floral bracts tawny, or purplish red; ovate, or lanceolate (broadly); widest at base; 1.8–2.5 mm long; glabrous, or hairy mainly at apex. Floral bracts hairs sparse; straight. Floral bracts apex obtuse. Calyx sepals 4; free; 1.2–3 mm long. Calyx brown, or white or translucent, or purplish red; glabrous. Petals fused; 4; white, or pink, or purple; 4–5 mm long. Corolla rotate, or tubular; 4-lobed. Stamens 4; fused to the corolla; filaments glabrous (long esxerted). Anthers yellow (conspicuous at anthesis); stout-cylindrical (apiculate); 1–2 mm long. Gynoecia superior. Carpels syncarpous; 2. Ovaries ovate; glabrous. Styles 1. Stigmas per style 1; slender-cylindrical. Ovules 4. Fruit with calyx persisting; a capsule; spherical, or ovoid; dehiscent (splitting around the middle releasing a cup-shaped cap). Fruit 2.5–3.5 mm long; 1.5–2 mm wide; yellowish, or brown. Seeds 4; 1.4–1.8 mm long; black, or brown; with surfaces smooth.
Chromosome information. 2n = 12.
Cite this publication as: ‘S.G. Aiken, M.J. Dallwitz, L.L. Consaul, C.L. McJannet, L.J. Gillespie, R.L. Boles, G.W. Argus, J.M. Gillett, P.J. Scott, R. Elven, M.C. LeBlanc, A.K. Brysting and H. Solstad. 1999 onwards. Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago: Descriptions, Illustrations, Identification, and Information Retrieval. Version: 29th April 2003. http://www.mun.ca/biology/delta/arcticf/’. Dallwitz (1980) and Dallwitz, Paine and Zurcher (1993, 1995, 2000) should also be cited (see References).