SEA PLANTAIN

Plantago Maritima

Plantain Family [Plantaginaceae]

19th July 2007, sea wall facing Barrow in Furness, Walney Island.

Photo: © RWD

Flowering spikes amidst a mat of green linear leaves.

8th June 2007, Arnside rocky shore, Lancashire.

Photo: © RWD

21st June 2008, sea-ward Promenade, Port Erin, Isle of Man.

Photo: © RWD

Brownish flowers with prominent pale yellow anthers.

19th July 2007, Walney Island, land-side shore.

Photo: © RWD

Brownish flowers with prominent long pale yellow stamens.

3rd July 2010, shore, Arnside, Cumbria.

Photo: © RWD

Initially obscured by a profusion of large creamy-coloured anthers on extended stamens the four-petalled flowers are here visible, being green with a reddish streak along the centre-line.

3rd July 2010, shore, Arnside, Cumbria.

Photo: © RWD

The brown-beaked four-segment anthers are on very long stamens.

21st June 2008, sea-ward Promenade, Port Erin, Isle of Man.

Photo: © RWD

Very long, flattish leaves, with a slight longitudinal curl, without cuts or downy hairs.

Some similarities to : Buck's-horn Plantain but that has thick fleshy and slightly downy leaves which although of similar shape, are usually but not always deeply cut. Sea Plantain has fleshy, linear smooth and mostly un-cut (but some can be slightly cut) leaves. The leaves also have between 3 and 5 faint veins on the obverse. Sea Plantain has a longer flower-head than does Buck's-horn Plantain.

Distinguishing Feature : Grows near the sea on rocks, stone, or concrete sea-walls, and on salt-marshes and bare ground by the sea, or on mountains.

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Distribution
family8Plantain family8Plantaginaceae

BSBI maps

Plantago