Plantago lanceolata L.
English plantain, ribwort plantain
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Asteridae A large class that encompasses asters
Order Lamiales Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family Plantaginaceae Plantains
Genus Plantago From Latin plantago, “footprint,” since plantains popped up where European settlers walked
Species lanceolata “Lance-like”—usually a reference to leaf shape, probably a reference to the fruits in this case
About plant names...
English plantain is a European native, found in Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain,
and northern and central Asia. It is naturalized in North America, and
common in lawns, as well as prairies, roadsides, and plains.
Plants: Plants are 6-24″ (15-60 cm) tall, with bare, ridged stems.
Leaves: Leaves are in the form of a basal rosette , with ascending , smooth-edged,
narrowly elliptic or narrowly oval leaves 4-16″ (10-40 cm) long. Leaves have three or more parallel nerves.
Flowers: An oval structure ½-3″ (1.3-7.6 cm) tall atop each stem is
festooned with tiny white flowers ⅛″ (3.2 mm) in size. The flowers form a ring of diminutive blooms that
begins at the bottom of the oval and works
upward, appearing from Apr-Aug.
Fruits: Fruits are 1/16-⅛″ (3-4 mm) in size, splitting open when dry.
Edibility: Young leaves are edible raw or cooked, though bitter and
very fibrous. Seeds may be ground and added to flour.
Online References:
Illinois Wildflowers
ARKive: Images of Life on Earth
Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
References:
Clemants, Steven; Gracie, Carol, Wildflowers in the Field and Forest , Oxford University Press, 2006 , p. 360
9/3/2020 · Mitchell Field, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)
6/2/2016 · Townsend Wildlife Management Are, Townsend, Massachusetts
6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine
5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 1 × 2′ (41 × 62 cm)
7/12/2013 · Wooden Bridge, East Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 7″ (25 × 16 cm)
7/12/2013 · Wooden Bridge, East Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 16 cm)
6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine
6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 2½ × 4″ (6.7 × 10 cm)
8/7/2013 · Amos Kendall Conservation Land, Dunstable, Massachusetts
6/2/2016 · Townsend Wildlife Management Are, Townsend, Massachusetts
4/21/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 14 × 9″ (35 × 23 cm)
7/20/2023 · Curtis Farm Preserve, Harpswell, Maine
Older scientific or horticultural names
Plantago altissima auct. non L.
Plantago lanceolata L. var. sphaerostachya Mert. & W.D.J. Koch
Plantago lanceolata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 17 Oct 2023.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
6/2/2016 · Townsend Wildlife Management Are, Townsend, Massachusetts
6/17/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (12 × 19 cm)
8/2/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 12″ (20 × 31 cm)
6/10/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 2½ × 4″ (6.7 × 10 cm)
6/20/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 5″ (9.2 × 13 cm)
8/2/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm)
6/2/2016 · Townsend Wildlife Management Are, Townsend, Massachusetts
7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 5″ (9.2 × 13 cm)
7/3/2023 · Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm)
7/31/2021 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 7 × 11″ (18 × 26 cm)
7/7/2012 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)
5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 3 × 4½″ (7.9 × 11 cm)
Range: Zones 5-9:
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