Plantago aristata is a species of plantain known by the common name bracted plantain[1] or largebracted plantain.[2] It is native to the eastern and central United States, and it can be found in other parts of North America as well as parts of Eurasia as an introduced species. It grows in many types of habitat, including disturbed areas, where it is a minor weed.

Plantago aristata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Plantago
Species:
P. aristata
Binomial name
Plantago aristata

Description

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It is an annual herb usually lacking a stem, producing a circular rosette of many narrow linear leaves each up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long. The stemlike inflorescences grow erect to a maximum height around 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in) tall. Atop the peduncle of the inflorescence is a dense spike of many small flowers each with four whitish lobes a few millimeters long. Between the flowers are long, narrow bracts which may be 3 cm (1.2 in) long, the defining characteristic of the species. The bracts have fluffy hairs around their bases near the flowers.

References

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  1. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Plantago aristata​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
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