Plantago triandra Berggr.

Growth Form

Plantago triandra Berggr. grows as small rosettes, with a primary root up to 12 mm thick.

Leaf Count and Axillary Hairs

Each rosette can produce up to 62 generally angular-ovate leaves, with visible short rust-colored leaf axillary hairs shorter than 13 mm in the basal rosette.

Leaf Vein and Dimensions

Each leaf has a single vein, measuring 8–61 mm long including the petiole and up to 11 mm wide.

Leaf Surface Texture

Leaves are sometimes punctate, glabrous on both surfaces, or have hair bands to sparsely hairy on the upper surface.

Leaf Apex and Margins

Leaf apices are acute, and leaf margins are smooth, wavy, or bear up to 24 small to large teeth.

Petiole Characteristics

The petiole is usually distinguishable from the leaf blade, and grows up to 23 mm long.

Inflorescence Count and Size

Each rosette can have up to 22 erect inflorescences, which reach up to 41 mm in length.

Scape Characteristics

Scapes are smooth, and can be either glabrous or hairy.

Spike and Flower Count

Spikes are globose, holding 1–3 densely crowded flowers.

Floral Bract Traits

Each flower has a small broadly ovate to very broadly ovate bract that is usually glabrous.

Calyx Characteristics

The calyx measures 0.3–1.7 mm long and 0.3–1.1 mm wide, and is mostly glabrous, only rarely bearing a hair at its apex.

Corolla, Stamen and Style Dimensions

The corolla tube is 2.0–4.4 mm long, corolla lobes are 0.9–2.9 mm long, stamen filaments 1.7–6.8 mm long, anthers 0.7–1.4 mm long, and the style is 2.7–10.0 mm long and densely hairy.

Ovary Traits

The ovary is 0.7–2.6 mm long, and contains up to 42 ovules.

Capsule Characteristics

The fruit is a dry, dehiscent capsule with circumscissile dehiscence, shaped ellipsoid or globose, widest at the middle, 2.1–4.3 mm long and 1.5–3.9 mm wide.

Seed Traits

Each capsule holds 8–42 uniform rust or brown seeds 0.5–1.4 mm long, which are usually rhomboid or angular-ovoid.

Flowering and Fruiting Periods

Plantago triandra flowers from December to May and fruits from December to June.

Chromosome Number

Its chromosome number is 2n=48.

Endemic Range

This plantain is endemic to the North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands of New Zealand.

Regional Distribution within New Zealand

In the North Island, it occurs in the Auckland, Volcanic Plateau, Taranaki, and Southern North Island regions; on the South Island, it occurs in the Marlborough, Western Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago, Fiordland, and Southland regions.

Natural Habitat and Elevation Range

It grows in coastal banks, cliffs, herbfields, dunes and rock outcrops in damp or wet areas, from sea level up to 1,520 m (4,990 ft) above sea level.

Anthropogenic Habitat

It may also grow on bowling or golf course greens.