Species: Plantago maritima var. juncoides (Lam.) Gray

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Plantago maritima var. juncoides (Lam.) Gray

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Plantaginaceae

Genus:

Plantago

Species Synonyms:

Plantago juncoides var. decipiens (Barneoud) Fern.
Plantago juncoides var. glauca (Hornem.) Fern.
Plantago juncoides var. laurentiana Fern.
Plantago maritima ssp. borealis (Lange) Blytt & O. Dahl
Plantago maritima ssp. juncoides (Lam.) Hultén
Plantago oliganthos Roemer & J.A. Schultes
Plantago oliganthos var. fallax Fern.
Plantago juncoides Lam.

Common Names:

goose tongue
seaside plantain

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

western British Columbia – southwestern Yukon Territory, Great Bear Lake region, northwestern Alberta, east-central Saskatchewan – west-central Manitoba, Hudson Bay Coast, Labrador – Newfoundland – Quebec – Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

east-central Saskatchewan; Nietenai River Salt Marshes

Ecoregion:

Mid-Boreal Lowland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

salt springs and wet saline marshes

Associated Species:

Triglochin maritima

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5T5 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Plantago maritima var. juncoides is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is extremely rare. It is restricted to one region of the province but is usually locally numerous. No immediate threats are known for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

5 – 20 cm

Stems:

perennial, scapose, usually longer than leaves, glabrous to pubescent

Leaves:

basal, ascending, to 20 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, linear to filiform or lanceolate, thick, fleshy, almost 3-angled in cross section, glabrous, 3 – 5-nerved margin entire or distantly toothed

Inflorescence:

spikes 2 – 10 cm long, dense, often interrupted below, axis pubescent; bracts 1.5 – 4 mm long, ovate, margin minutely ciliate; flowering stalks 1 – several

Flowers:

calyx and corolla tube pubescent; calyx oblong, rounded on the back; corolla lobes spreading, 1 – 1.5 mm long; stamens 4

Fruits:

capsule circumscissile below middle, ovoid; seeds 2 - 4

PLANTAGO KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Leaves linear, blades and petioles not well-differentiated	2
1 Leaves ovate, lanceolate, elliptic or oblanceolate, petioles and blades well-differentiated	5

2 Bracts of spike very conspicuous, awn-tipped	P. patagonica var. spinulosa
2 Bracts somewhat inconspicuous, generally shorter than the flowers, not awn-tipped	3

3 Corolla tube pilose	P. maritima var. juncoides
3 Corolla tube glabrous	4

4 Leaves and spikes densely white woolly; leaves linear, greater than 1 mm wide; stamens 4	P. patagonica var. patagonica
4 Leaves and spikes glabrous or nearly so; leaves filiform, about 1 mm wide; stamens 2	P. elongata ssp. elongata

5 Leaves lanceolate to elliptic or oblanceolate, margin entire or sparsely toothed; sepals apparently 3 (2 united with a double midvein)	P. lanceolata
5 Leaves ovate, margin undulate to coarsely dentate; sepals 4	6

6 Corolla lobes less than 1 mm long; seeds up to 30; leaf blade abruptly tapering to a narrow petiole, blades prostrate	P. major
6 Corolla lobes greater than 1 mm long; seeds at most 4; leaf blade gradually tapering to a petiole, blades ascending	P. eriopoda