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Plantago lanceolata L.
Narrowleaf Plantain
English Plantain
Ribwort Plantain
Not native to Florida
An occasional wildflower of disturbed sites of the Florida panhandle, the northern peninsula, the I-4 corridor and Miami-Dade County. Native to Europe, narrowleaf plantain can now be found throughout most of North America except for the northern areas of Canada.
True to one of its common names, this plantain has narrow oblanceolate to elliptic leaves with parallel veins. Like all members of this genera in Florida, there are only basal leaves. The inflorescence is a cylindrical cluster much shorter than the scape. The stamens are the most noticeable part of the flower and extend greatly from the tiny petals and sepals. The flowers start blooming from the bottom of the spike, forming a ring of protruding stamens that move upward with the season.
Plantago lanceolata is a member of the Plantaginaceae - Plantain family.
Other species of the Plantago genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Plantago virginica - VIRGINIA PLANTAIN
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
iNaturalist profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Jan 23, 2024
