Plantago ovata Forsskal   =Plantago insularis   Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family)   Native   Woolly Plantain     Island Plantain

                                          May Photo

Plant Characteristics: Villous annual; lvs. filiform to linear-lanceolate, entire or with small remote denticulations, 3-12 cm. long; scapes 5-25 cm. tall, erect to arcuate-ascending; spikes capitate to short-cylindric, 5-25 mm. long, dense; bracts usually with brown midribs, ovate to roundish, 2.5-3 mm. long; sepals elliptic to obovate-elliptic, ca. 2.5 mm. long, almost exactly like the bracts; seeds reddish-yellow when mature, shining, 2-2.5 mm. long.

Habitat:  Occasional on Coastal Strand, Coastal Sage Scrub, along the coast from Santa Barbara Co. to n. L. Calif., Channel Ids.  Feb.-April.

Name:  Latin, from planta, footprint.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 633).  Latin, insula, an island.  (Jaeger 128). (Bailey 16).  Possibly the first specimens were found on the California islands.  (my comment).  John Johnson confirms this and says that the species was first found on Santa Barbara Id.

General:  Occasional on the westerly side of the bay in places where hydromulching has been used to reseed graded areas.  Photographed there. (my comments).       Plantago species have been known to cause hay fever and asthma.  (Fuller 381).       May be alien, naturalized very early from Medit.  (Hickman, Ed. 821).

Text Ref:  Abrams, Vol. IV 20; Hickman, Ed. 821; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 633; Roberts 32.

Photo Ref:  May 4 83 #6

Identity: by J. Johnson, confirmed by F. Roberts.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 332.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 3/23/03.