Plantago major, L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 39

1. P. major L. , Sp. Pl. 112 (1753) .

Perennial with one or few rosettes. Leaves (l-5-)5-30(-40)x(0-5-)3-10(-15) cm; lamina ovate to elliptical, entire or irregularly dentate, 3- to 9-veined, glabrous or puberulent; petiole as long as lamina or shorter. Scapes equalling or exceeding leaves, striate or terete, with short, appressed or ascending hairs; spikes as long as or shorter than rest of scape, dense. Bracts 1-2 mm, ovate, glabrous. Sepals 1-5-2-5 mm, subequal, glabrous, green, with narrow scarious margins. Corolla-tube c. 2 mm, glabrous; lobes c. 1mm, lanceolate to ovate, subobtuse, glabrous. Stamens exserted 2-3 mm. Capsule 2-4 mm; seeds (4-)6-34, 1-1-5 mm, ellipsoid or ellipsoid-trigonous. Almost throughout Europe. All except Sb, but only naturalized in Is. 1 Leaves 5- to 9-veined, ± cordate at base, thick, dark green,

glabrescent; spikes narrowed above; seeds (4—)6—10(—13)

(a) subsp. major 1 Leaves 3- to 5-veined, gradually narrowed into petiole, usually thin, yellowish-green, usually puberulent; spikes cylindrical;

seeds 8-34 2 Seeds 8-11 (b) subsp. winteri 2 Seeds 14-34 (c) subsp. intermedia