Scientific Family
Plantaginaceae
Synonyms
Plantago brunnea, P. fastigiata, P. gooddingii, P. insularis, P. insularis var. fastigiata, P. insularis var. scariosa, P. minima
Other common names
blond plantain
Indian wheat
woolly plantain
desert plantain
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
Up to 12 inches
Riparian
No
Annual with well-developed, slender taproot, usually stemless, up to 12 inches tall; herbage densely hairy with loose woolly, silky silvery-white hairs; leaves basal and narrow; whitish flowers on terminal, spiral spikes; self-fertile, pollinated by wind.
Annual with perfect flowers, pollinated by wind, self-fertile; herbage hairs dense and silky; leaves basal, narrow, margins smooth to a few teeth; floral bracts <1/8 inch long and broadly oval-like; flower stalks have 1 terminal spike of whitish flowers.
Habitat
Widespread in sandy or gravelly deserts and steppes, dry plains and mesas.
Plant Community
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
3200
Flower Characteristics
Stalk 1 to 12 inches long; soft, shaggy hairs spreading at right angles; spikes at maturity 1/4 to 1-1/2 inches long; bracts broadly oval-like; midvein densely hairy; petals spread or point downward, broadly oval, 1/16 inch long, membranous-papery, brown.
Flower color
Whitish
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
January
Last bloom month
May
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Usually no distinct leaf stalk, blades narrow, 1 to 6 inches long, <1/2 inch wide, tapered at base, pointed at tip, sparsely to densely hairy, obscurely 3-veined, margins smooth to a few teeth.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Capsule breaking at or slightly below middle.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Reddish-brown to black
2 seeds, ellipsoid, 1/16 inch long, 1/16 inch wide, reddish-brown to black, the inner surface deeply concave, the outer surface shiny.