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  5. Plantago
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  6. Plantago udicola
    • Plantago obconica
    • Plantago aucklandica
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    • Plantago udicola

Plantago udicola

Lake Sylvester, Kahurangi National Park.<br>Photographer: Andrew MacDonald, Date taken: 19/12/2015, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Flower, Lake Sylvester, Kahurangi National Park.<br>Photographer: Andrew MacDonald, Date taken: 19/12/2015, Licence: All rights reserved. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
Lake Daniells, Canterbury.<br>Photographer: Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Licence: <a target='_blank' href='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0'>CC BY-NC</a>. <a class='member-message' href='/nzpcn/why-join-nzpcn/' target='_blank'>Members can view a larger version of this image.</a>
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Biostatus

Native – Endemic taxon

Current conservation status

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.

  • Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

2023 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DPS, DPT

Jump to previous conservation statuses

Category

Vascular

Structural class

Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites

Detailed description

Rosette plants; primary root 3-20 mm thick. Leaves all basal, 8-19 to per rosette, green or brown when dry, usually narrowly angular-obovate, rarely narrowly obovate, widest point above middle, 16-186 × 4-27mm wide; axillary hairs ferrugineous, slightly to very visible, up to 5-23mm long. Lamina narrowly elliptic, elliptic, narrowly rhombic, rhombic, narrowly angular-obovate or angular-obovate, widest point usually at middle, sometimes above middle, 13-175 mm long, usually not punctate, rarely punctate, usually with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy, rarely densely hairy adaxially, glabrous, with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy, especially along midrib and margins, rarely densely hairy abaxially; hairs patent and 0.5-3.6 mm; veins 1-5; lamina apex usually acute, rarely obtuse; base attenuate or cuneate; margins entire or subentire with wavy and irregular margins, with 4-12 minute, small, medium or large, obtuse, regular or irregular teeth up to 0.3-4.6mm long, with patchy isolated hairs to sparsely hairy; petiole usually distinguishable from lamina, 6.0-75.0 × 1.1-6.8 mm. Inflorescences erect, 3-18 per rosette, 62-266 mm long (including spikes); scapes elongating before anthesis, not ribbed, 3-250 × 4-8 mm thick at fruiting, sparsely to densely hairy, especially near top; trichomes patent (distally antrorse); spikes usually long and linear-ovoid, sometimes ovoid, rarely globose, 5-28 × 4-8 mm thick at fruiting. Flowers 2-32 per spike, usually densely crowded, rarely more distant below (up to 4 mm apart); bracts 1 per flower, ovate, broadly ovate or very broadly ovate, acute or obtuse, 1.8-3.5 × 0.8-2.2mm wide; bract margins with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy and outer surface glabrous or with isolated hairs along midrib; bract axils usually sparsely hairy, rarely with isolated hairs or densely hairy, 0.9-2.4 mm long; calyx usually shorter, rarely longer than capsule, 2.2-3.5 × 1.4-2.9 mm; calyx lobes 1.9-3.3 × 1.1-2.5 mm, ovate, acute or obtuse; calyx lobe margins scarious and usually with isolated hairs at apex, rarely glabrous, middle coloured part 0.3-0.9mm wide, outer surface glabrous or with isolated hairs on midrib; corolla tube 1.8-3.7 mm long, longer than lobes; corolla lobes 1.1-2.9 × 0.6-1.3 mm, usually narrowly ovate or ovate, rarely broadly ovate, acute; stamen filaments 2.0-7.5mm long, usually attached to lower half, rarely upper half of corolla tube 0.2-1.7 mm; anthers 1.5-2.2 mm long; style 2.2-6.4 mm long, densely hairy throughout; stigma filiform, undifferentiated from style; ovary 0.6-1.8 × 0.5-1.3 mm; ovules 4-5. Capsules 2.1-4.7 × 1.4-3.2 × 0.8-1.9 mm, ellipsoid, broadly ellipsoid or ovoid, rarely rhomboid, broadly rhomboid or broadly ovoid, widest at lower half or middle, septum usually reaching top of capsule, not forming an upper compartment to one side. Seeds 1-4 per capsule, 1.1-2.5 × 0.6-1.4 mm uniform, usually ellipsoid, rarely narrowly ellipsoid, rust, brown or dark brown, edges rounded.

Similar taxa

Plantago udicola is distinguished from other species of Plantago by the following suite of characters: 1-4 ellipsoid, uniform seeds; scapes with type ‘i’ and type ‘g’ hairs (see Meudt 2012); bracts that are sparsely minute ciliate or with isolated hairs along the whole margin; sepal margins with one or few isolated hairs at apex only. It is also ecologically distinct from P. spathulata, P. picta and P. raoulii, being found in boggy habitats of tussock lands and herb fields above 600 m, and cytologically distinct, as it is a 16-ploid, whereas the other three species are octoploids.

Distribution

Endemic. New Zealand: North and South Islands (Central Volcanic Plateau otherwise North-West Nelson south to Fiordland).

Habitat

Subalpine to alpine. In open or sheltered tussockland, herb fields, scrub seeps, creeks, flushes, bogs, damp hollows, swampy patches, wet ground and lake shores; at base of bluffs, on schist, greywacke, silt or peaty soil.

Threats

Not Threatened but would warrant more survey to make sure this assessment is correct (Meudt 2012, p. 152).

Detailed taxonomy

Genus

Plantago

Family

Plantaginaceae

Authority

Plantago udicola Meudt et Garn.-Jones

Synonyms

None (first described 2012)

Endemic taxon

Yes

Endemic genus

No

Endemic family

No

Ecology

Flowering

November - February

Fruiting

December - June

Propagation technique

Easily grown from fresh seed and transplants.

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]

OBL: Obligate Wetland

Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands (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.

PLAUDI

Chromosome number

2n = 96

Previous conservation statuses

The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.

  • Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

2017 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DP

2012 | Not Threatened

2009 | Not Threatened

Jump to current conservation status

Regional conservation statuses

Otago: 2025 | Regionally Not Threatened | Qualifiers: DPR, DPS, DPT, NS, RR

The regional threat classification system leverages off the national assessments in the NZTCS, providing information relevant for the regional context. Otago conservation status information is sourced from the “Conservation Status of Indigenous Vascular Plants in Otago, 2025” Jarvie S et al. (2025) report.

Referencing and citations

References and further reading

Meudt, H.M. 2012: A taxonomic revision of native New Zealand Plantago (Plantaginaceae). New Zealand Journal of Botany 50: 101-178.

Attribution

Fact Sheet Prepared for NZPCN by: P.J. de Lange 18 June 2012. Description adapted from Meudt (2012).

NZPCN Fact Sheet citation

Please cite as: de Lange, P.J. (Year at time of access): Plantago udicola Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/plantago-udicola/ (Date website was queried)

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