Plantago rugelii Decne.

Black Seed Plantain; American Plantain; Broadleaf Plantain

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

American Plantain is a native perennial in the Plantain family (Plantaginaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. American Plantain occurs in lawns, along trails, on roadsides, and in other disturbed areas. It is a perennial with thick, fibrous roots. The leaves from a basal rosette. Leaves are petiolate, ovate in outline, glabrous or slightly pubescent, with entire to undulate and few-toothed margins. The leaf has 5-7 major veins. The petioles are purplish in color, at least at the base. Flowers are produced in spikes on scapes that exceed the length of the leaves. The scapes are glabrous or pubescent and round in cross section. The scapes may be loosely or densely flowered. Individual flowers are greenish with 4 sepals. The corolla is papery in texture, blueish to tan in color, with 4 reflexed lobes. Each flower is subtended by a bract as long or longer than the sepals. The fruit is a capsule with 4-10 black seed. The capsule is dehiscent below the middle. The seed become sticky when wet and attach to shoes, tires, and the fur of animals. American Plantain is similar in appearance to Great Plantain (Plantago major Linnaeus). That species has fruit that dehisce at the middle and contain 4-5 seed. The petioles of Great Plantain are usually green in color and the leaves have 3-5 major veins.—A. Diamond.

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Native FAC (NWPL)

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