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This species is accepted, and its native range is SE. Spain, N. Africa to India and Somalia, SW. & S. Central U.S.A. to N. Mexico.
Plantago ovata

[UNAL]
Vernacular
Ispagula

[FIQ]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Annual, acaulous or short-stemmed, 3–10(–16) cm tall, branched at base, white villouslanate
Morphology Leaves
Leaves linear to narrowly lanceolate, 3–5 × 0.1–0.6 cm, 3-veined, base attenuate tapering into the petiole, margins entire or remotely denticulate, apex acute, densely to sparsely white villous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncle as long as leaves or longer, rarely shorter than leaves, arcuate-ascending or decumbent, rarely erect, 1–9(–12) cm, villous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Spike globose to ovoid to narrowly ovoid, 0.5–2.5(–3) cm, densely flowered; bracts glabrous, broadly ovate, 2–3 × 3–4 mm, obtuse, scarious except for the herbaceous midrib, lateral lamina much wider than midrib
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 2.5–3 mm, glabrous, scarious except midrib; anterior sepals obovate-elliptic, posterior sepals elliptic- Corolla white, lobes broadly ovate or orbicular-cordate, 2–3 × 2 mm, acute, glabrous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 2-seeded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid.
Ecology
In desert and wadi beds, on sandy gypsophilous and calcareous soils; on plateau in sandy patches, limestone and conglomerate hillsides and hard silty plains; alt. 10–150 m
Phenology
Flowering and fruiting: Feb.– Jun.
Distribution
Common in the Desert Plateau Region and lower Mesopotamian Region; frequent in Upper  Plains and Foothills Region. Mediterranean region, southwest Asia to Pakistan, N America, Atlantic Islands.
Note
Chalabi recognized P. trichophylla Nabělek & subsp. decumbens Chalabi as separate taxa in the original manuscript, but said that many specimens of both taxa examined in Iraq integrated with P. ovata and were difficult to tell apart. Blakelock (op. cit., 444) considered P. trichophylla a depauperate form of P. ovata. I have placed both (P. trichophylla and P. decumbens) under P. ovata.
Vernacular
riblah (recorded by Blakelock, loc.cit.).

[FTEA]

Plantaginaceae, B. Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
Has been cultivated at Kabete, Kenya (Oct. 1934, Hudson in A.D. 2936 !).
Diagnostic
It will key to near P. lanceolata in the key below but is not closely related, differing in having 4 free sepals and woolly hairs on the leaves, which are linear or lanceolate.

[FIQ]
Use
The seeds are used medicinally, and the plant is recorded as spring fodder in the Iraq-Nejd border areas.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Arizona, California, Canary Is., Cyprus, Egypt, Gulf States, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Mexican Pacific Is., Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Morocco, Nevada, North Caucasus, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sinai, Socotra, Somalia, Spain, Texas, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Utah, Western Sahara, Yemen

Introduced into:

China Southeast, Thailand, Xinjiang

Plantago ovata Forssk. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status
Jan 1, 1976 Trask, B. [s.n.], California K000190066 isotype
Jan 1, 1975 Palmer, E. [654], Mexico K000573580
Jan 1, 1975 Kennedy, P.B. [1070], Nevada K000779654

First published in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 31 (1775)

Accepted by

  • Boulos, L. (2002). Flora of Egypt 3: 1-373. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
  • Collenette, S. (1999). Wildflowers of Saudi Arabia: 1-799. National commission for wildlife conservation and development (NCWCD), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Danin, A. & Fragman- Sapir, O. (2019). Flora of Israel Online http://flora.org.il/en/plants/.
  • Daoud, H.S. in Al-Rawi, A. (1985). Flora of Kuwait 1: 1-224. Alden Press Ltd., U.K.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2013). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 5: 1-451. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Dobignard, A., Jacquemoud, F. & Jordan, D. (1992). Matériaux pour la conaissance floristique du Sahara occidental et l'Anti-Atlas méridional. II. Leguminosae à Compositae Candollea 47: 397-481.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2019). Flora of North America North of Mexico 17: 1-737. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Ghazanfar, S.A. & Edmondson, J.R. (eds.) (2013). Flora of Iraq 5(2): 1-349. Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad.
  • Ghazanfar, S.A. (1992). An Annotated Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Oman and their Vernacular names Scripta Botanica Belgica 2: 1-153.
  • Jongbloed, M., Western, R.A. & Boer, B. (2000). Annotated Check-list for plants in the U.A.E.: 1-90. Zodiac Publishing, Dubai.
  • Kress, W.J., DeFilipps, R.A., Farr, E. & Kyi, D.Y.Y. (2003). A Checklist of the Trees, Shrubs, Herbs and Climbers of Myanmar Contributions from the United States National Herbarium 45: 1-590. Smithsonian Institution.
  • Meikle, R.D. (1985). Flora of Cyprus 2: 833-1970. The Bentham-Moxon Trust Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004). Ethnoflora of Soqotra Archipelago: 1-759. The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
  • Mosti, S., Raffaelli, M. & Tardelli, M. (2012). Contributions to the flora of central-southern Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman) Webbia; Raccolta de Scritti Botanici 67: 65-91.
  • Musselman, L.J. (2011). Checklist of Plants of Lebanon and Syria http://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/lebsyria/Checklist%20of%20Lebanon%20Plants.pdf.
  • Nasir, E. & Ali, S.I. (eds.) (1970-1995). Flora of West Pakistan 1-131.
  • Patzak, A. & Rechinger, K.H. (1965). Flora Iranica 15: 1-23. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz.
  • Santisuk, T. & Larsen, K. (eds.) (2008). Flora of Thailand 9(2): 91-188. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.
  • Schischkin, B.K. & al. (eds.) (1954). Flora Turkmenii 6: 1-402. Turkmenskoe gosudarstvennoe izd., Ashkhabad.
  • Singh, M. & Ali, S.J. (2008). A study on aquatic Angiosperms of district Mau (East U.P.) Journal of East African Natural History 32: 877-890.
  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Somalia 3: 1-626. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1976). Flora Europaea 4: 1-505. Cambridge University Press.
  • Villaseñor, J.L. (2016). Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559-902.
  • Wood, J.R.I. (1997). A handbook of the Yemen Flora: 1-434. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2011). Flora of China 19: 1-884. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Literature

Flora of Iraq

  • Blakelock in Kew Bull. 3: 442 (1950);
  • Boulos, Fl. Egypt, 3: 210 (2002);
  • Chalabi Ka’bi in Bull. Iraq Nat. Hist. Mus. 1 (2): 18 (1961);
  • Collenette, Wildflow. Saudi Ariabia: 604(1999);
  • Forssk Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 31 (1775);
  • Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 4: 707 (1885);
  • Kazmi in Fl. Pak. 62: 14 (1974);
  • Li, Wei & Hoggard in Fl. China 17: 496 (2011).
  • Patzak & Rech. f. in Fl. Iranica 15:15 (1965);
  • Pilger in Engl., Pflanzenr. 102 (IV. 269): 347 (1937);
  • Zohary in Dep. Agr. Iraq Bull. 31: 442 (1950);
  • Zohary pl. 380 (1977);
  • Zohary, Fl. Palaest. 3: 222 (1978)

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Boulos, L. (2002). Flora of Egypt 3: 1-373. Al Hadara Publishing, Cairo.
  • Collenette, S. (1999). Wildflowers of Saudi Arabia: 1-799. National commission for wildlife conservation and development (NCWCD), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
  • Danin, A. & Fragman- Sapir, O. (2019). Flora of Israel Online http://flora.org.il/en/plants/.
  • Daoud, H.S. in Al-Rawi, A. (1985). Flora of Kuwait 1: 1-224. Alden Press Ltd., U.K.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2013). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 5: 1-451. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Dobignard, A., Jacquemoud, F. & Jordan, D. (1992). Matériaux pour la conaissance floristique du Sahara occidental et l'Anti-Atlas méridional. II. Leguminosae à Compositae Candollea 47: 397-481.
  • Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2019). Flora of North America North of Mexico 17: 1-737. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  • Jongbloed, M., Western, R.A. & Boer, B. (2000). Annotated Check-list for plants in the U.A.E.: 1-90. Zodiac Publishing, Dubai.
  • Meikle, R.D. (1985). Flora of Cyprus 2: 833-1970. The Bentham-Moxon Trust Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Miller, A.G. & Morris, M. (2004). Ethnoflora of Soqotra Archipelago: 1-759. The Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.
  • Moran, R. (1996). The flora of Guadalupe island, Mexico Memoirs of the California Academy of Sciences 19: 1-190.
  • Mosti, S., Raffaelli, M. & Tardelli, M. (2012). Contributions to the flora of central-southern Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman) Webbia; Raccolta de Scritti Botanici 67: 65-91.
  • Musselman, L.J. (2011). Checklist of Plants of Lebanon and Syria http://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/lebsyria/Checklist%20of%20Lebanon%20Plants.pdf.
  • Patzak, A. & Rechinger, K.H. (1965). Flora Iranica 15: 1-23. Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz.
  • Santisuk, T. & Larsen, K. (eds.) (2008). Flora of Thailand 9(2): 91-188. The Forest Herbarium, Royal Forest Department.
  • Schischkin, B.K. & al. (eds.) (1954). Flora Turkmenii 6: 1-402. Turkmenskoe gosudarstvennoe izd., Ashkhabad.
  • Singh, M. & Ali, S.J. (2008). A study on aquatic Angiosperms of district Mau (East U.P.) Journal of East African Natural History 32: 877-890.
  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Somalia 3: 1-626. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1976). Flora Europaea 4: 1-505. Cambridge University Press.
  • Villaseñor, J.L. (2016). Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559-902.
  • Wood, J.R.I. (1997). A handbook of the Yemen Flora: 1-434. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2011). Flora of China 19: 1-884. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Art and Illustrations in Digifolia
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew

Flora of Iraq
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Flora of Tropical East Africa
Flora of Tropical East Africa
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

Herbarium Catalogue Specimens
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kew Backbone Distributions
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone
The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2021. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
© Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

Kew Science Photographs
Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Universidad Nacional de Colombia
ColPlantA database
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0