Seaside Plantain

(Plantago maritima)

 

   

 

 

G.C. Oeder et al., 1761-1874. Flora Danica.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada, Second Edition.

 

Seaside Plantain (Plantago maritima L.)

Identification: Flowers small, white, with 5 petals. Flowers arranged in a tight, elongate head at the top of a stiff, wiry stalk. Leaves very narrow, grasslike, with a single prominent rib, and arranged in a basal rosette. Plant 2 to 8 inches in height.

Distribution: A coastal species found on the Atlantic Coast from Greenland to New Jersey and on the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California. Also found along the shores of Europe.

Habitat: Seaside Plantain (as the name implies) is found in salt marshes and seashores.

Flowering period: June to September.

Similar Species: The coastal habitat and the narrow, basal leaves should readily identify this species.

Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc. 2003. All rights reserved.