Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 112 (1753) subsp. major.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Greater plantain.

Description:
Short-lived perennial herbs with all leaves in a basal rosette on fleshy rootstock with adventitious roots; leaves with a petiole up to 25 cm long including the sheathing base; blade ovate to broadly elliptic, 4-22 x 2.5-12 cm, bluntly acute to rounded, usually with shallow widely spaced teeth, usually with 5 or 7 main veins, pubescent to glabrescent.

Spike cylindrical often sparse at the base, 8-25 rarely 4-30 cm long; peduncle 4-26 cm long, terete, with scattered short ascending hairs, the lower flowers usually at the same level as the apex of the leaves; bracts ovate-oblong, with narrow membranous margins and a broad herbaceous centre; sepals broadly ovate, 2-2.5 mm long, subequal, with membranous margins on either side of the herbaceous central ridge; corolla tube c. 2.5 mm long; lobes lanceolate to ovate, up to 2 mm long; anthers almost orbicular.

Capsule ovoid to almost globular, 4-5.5 mm long; seeds 8-14, c. 2 mm long, angular-elliptic, rugose.

	Habit.
Image source: fig. 614H in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Ross-Craig (1968) Drawings Brit. Pl. 25:pl. 5.

Distribution:  Weed of moist areas and often along streams. S.Aust.: NL, MU, SL, KI, SE.   All States except the N.T.   New Zealand; native to and/or naturalised in temperate Eurasia and North America. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: mainly in summer.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: The South Australian material is not easily identified as one of the varieties distinguished by Pilger (1937), Planzenreich 4, 269:43.

Author: Not yet available