Bottle-brush plantain

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Bottle-brush plantain

Bottle-brush plantain leaves

Bottle-brush plantain

Bottle-brush plantain

Morphology

Stem

Stems absent or essentially so. Plants dark green.

Leaves

Basal; blades linear, 4 to 9.5 inches long, 1/12 to 1/8 inch wide, margins entire, tip attenuate.

Inflorescence

Terminal spikes, long cylindric, 3/5 to 6 inches; bracts linear, 2 to 12 times as long as calyx; peduncles appressed-pubescent or hairs loosely ascending.

Flower

Calyx 4-lobed, lobes oblong to narrowly obovate, 1/10 to 1/7 inch, margins thin, membranous, somewhat translucent; corolla semi-transparent but sometimes appearing white, tubular, 4-lobed, lobes .05 to .09 inch, spreading or reflexed; stamens 4.

Fruit

Capsules ellipsoid, 1/10 to 1/7 inch; seeds 2, reddish tan, boat-shaped, 1/12 to 1/8 inch.

Ecology

Habitat

Dry, rocky tallgrass and mixed-grass prairies, rocky woodlands, pastures

Distribution

Native

Additional Notes