Plantago unibracteata Rahn

Growth Habit

Plantago unibracteata Rahn grows as small rosettes, with a primary root reaching up to 10 mm thick.

Rosette Foliage Base

Its basal rosette holds up to 34 typically narrowly angular-ovate leaves, and visible short rust-coloured leaf axillary hairs under 13 mm long can be seen at the leaf bases.

Leaf Basic Traits

Each leaf has 1 vein, is 8–46 mm long including the petiole, up to 13 mm wide, and is usually punctate.

Leaf Hair Distribution

The upper leaf surface is sparsely hairy or has only scattered isolated hairs on its lower half, while the lower leaf surface is completely glabrous.

Leaf Apex & Margins

Leaves have an acute apex, and their margins can be smooth, wavy, or bear up to 10 small teeth.

Petiole Traits

The petiole is usually distinguishable from the leaf blade, and grows up to 24 mm long.

Inflorescence Overall

A single rosette produces up to 12 erect inflorescences, which can reach 72 mm in total length.

Scape Traits

The scapes are smooth, with hair density ranging from sparse to dense.

Inflorescence Spikes

Inflorescence spikes are globose, holding 1–2 tightly packed flowers.

Flower Bracts

Each flower has 1–2 small bracts that are narrowly ovate to very broadly ovate, and usually glabrous.

Calyx Traits

The calyx measures 1.6–3.7 mm long by 1.6–3.6 mm wide, is mostly glabrous, and only rarely has a single hair at its apex.

Floral Organ Measurements

The corolla tube is 1.7–3.6 mm long, corolla lobes are 1.0–2.5 mm long, stamen filaments are 3.1–6.3 mm long, anthers are 1.2–1.7 mm long, and the style is 3.4–9.3 mm long and densely hairy.

Ovary Traits

The ovary is 0.8–1.7 mm long, and holds up to 23 ovules.

Fruit Traits

The fruit is a dry dehiscent capsule that opens via circumscissile dehiscence; it can be ellipsoid, broadly ellipsoid, or globose, is widest at its midpoint, and measures 2.1–4.9 mm long by 1.8–3.9 mm wide.

Seed Traits

Each capsule contains 5–23 uniformly rust or brown seeds, which are 0.6–2.2 mm long and usually rhomboid or angular-ovoid.

Flowering & Fruiting Period

Plantago unibracteata flowers from October to February, and fruits from December to May.

Chromosome Count

Its reported chromosome counts are 2n=60 and 2n=72.

Endemic Range

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

North Island Distribution

On the North Island, it occurs in the Volcanic Plateau, Taranaki, and Southern North Island regions.

South Island Distribution

On the South Island, it is found in Western Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago, and Fiordland Southland regions.

Habitat & Elevation

It grows in damp or wet areas: on exposed ridges, in herbfields and grasslands within bogs, and along the edges of streams and tarns, at elevations ranging from 440 to 1830 m above sea level.