How to Identify Plantago

1. Blades

The basal leaves of Plantago are rosette-shaped, erect, procumbent or obliquely spreading. The leaves are herbaceous, papery or thin papery, broadly ovate or broadly elliptical, with an acute or obtuse apex, sparsely irregularly dented margins or nearly entire, sparsely pubescent on both sides or nearly glabrous, and with long petioles.

2. Flowers

The inflorescence of Plantago is spike-shaped and thinly cylindrical, and the bracts are broadly ovate-triangular and glabrous. The keel is relatively broad and thick, sessile, the anterior pair of sepals are elliptic to broadly elliptic, and the posterior pair are broadly elliptic to nearly circular. The corolla is white, with lobes that are lanceolate to narrowly ovate, and anthers that are elliptical, light purple or rarely white at first, turning light brown after drying. The flowering period is from June to August.

3. Fruit

The capsule of Plantago is nearly spherical or ovoid. It is about 2-3 mm long and splits in the middle or slightly lower part. The seeds are oval or ovate, yellowish brown. The fruiting period is from July to September.