Plantago coronopus
Common names
buck’s horn plantain
Biostatus
Exotic
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Violet/Purple
Detailed description
Annual or perennial herb with persistent taproot. Leaves all radical, 120 x 5 mm with 1-4 pairs of lobes or teeth. Flowering stem up to 45 cm long, usually clothed in hairs, cylindrical spike contains many flowers. Capsule up to 2 mm long, usually containing 4 small pinkish-brown seeds.
Similar taxa
P. coronopis is a very variable species in New Zealand. Can be distinguished by the combination of the radical leaves with lobes or teeth, and the scape with many flowers.
Habitat
Terrestrial. Extensively naturalised in coastal areas. common around lowland lakes inland, in waste places and other modified areas.
Conservation status
Not applicable
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Plantaginaceae
Ecology
Flowering
July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April
Year naturalised
1873
Origin
Europe, W. Asia
Reason for introduction
Accidental
Tolerances
Highly salt tolerant.
Life cycle and dispersal
Reproduces by seed. Dispersed by soil movement and humans.
Wetland plant indicator status rating
Information derived from the revised national wetland plant list prepared to assist councils in delineating and monitoring wetlands (Clarkson et al., 2021 Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Contract Report LC3975 for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council). The national plant list categorises plants by the extent to which they are found in wetlands and not ‘drylands’. The indicator status ratings are OBL (obligate wetland), FACW (facultative wetland), FAC (facultative), FACU (facultative upland), and UPL (obligate upland). If you have suggestions for the Wetland Indicator Status Rating, please contact: [Enable JavaScript to view protected content]
FAC: Facultative
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte (non-wetlands).
Other information
Etymology
plantago: Old Latin name for flat-leaved plants
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
PLACOR