Plantago elongata Pursh =Plantago bigelovii var. californica =Plantago bigelovii ssp. bigelovii Plantaginaceae (Plantain Family) Native California Alkali Rush

                              March Photo

Plant Characteristics: Annual, glabrous or sparsely hairy; lvs. 3-10 cm., linear to thread-like, entire, sometimes few -toothed, 1-7 cm. long; bracts ovate, 2 mm. long, hyaline -margined; sepals broadly obovate, ca. 2mm. long; corolla-lobes generally 3, spreading, 1 erect, 2 mm. long, sharply reflexed in fr., 0.5-1 mm. long; caps. oblong-ovoid, 2-3 mm. long, circumscissile just below the middle; seeds 4-9, mostly 4-5, dark brown to black, oblong, slightly angled, irregularly and coarsely pitted, 1.5-2 mm. long.

Habitat:  Well distributed in cismontane Calif., mostly near the coast in saline and alkaline places, Coastal Strand, V. Grassland; to B.C.  April-June.

Name:  Plantago, Latin meaning sole of foot.  (Hickman, Ed. 820).  Bigelovii, in honor of Dr. J.M. Bigelow (1804-1878).  American naturalist connected with various Pacific Coast Railroad Surveys.  Collected in the Western U.S.; for him not only Opuntia bigelovii but many other California plants were named.  (Jaeger 306).  Elongata, lengthened.  (Bailey 14).  

General:  Rare in the study area, found only in one small location, at the top of the first bench above the marsh, in the southerly part of the 23rd St. area.  (my comment).      Three genera, +/- 270 spp. worldwide, especially in temperate areas; some weedy, some cultivated for a laxative. Plants with fr. 2-3 mm., 4-9 seeds, have been called P. bigelovii.  (Hickman Ed. 820).

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 820; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 634.

Photo Ref:  Dec-April 92-93 # 16; Mar 03 #22.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by John Johnson.

Computer Ref: Plant Data 466.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 3/22/03