Distribution: Scattered locations west of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia south to California; upper central and eastern North America.
Habitat: A weed of waste places, sandy areas, roadsides, and along railroad tracks.
Flowers: June-October
Origin: Introduced
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Taprooted annual or short-lived perennial, the stems solitary or several, branched in larger plants, 1-6 dm. tall, with stiff hairs of 2 lengths, often sticky.
Leaves numerous, cauline, opposite, linear, entire, 5-7 cm. long and 1-3 mm. wide.
Flowers in dense, bracteate spikes 0.5-1.5 cm. long and nearly 1 cm. thick; peduncles several, 2-8 cm. long, axillary; bracts broad, rounded, scarious-margined, the lowermost ones with a foliaceous tail-like structure; calyx 4-lobed; corolla 1.5-2 mm. long, the 4 lobes reflexed; ovary superior, 2-celled.
Capsule
Plantago psyllium L., illegitimate name [HC]
Plantago scabra Moench
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Plantago arenaria in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Plantago arenaria checklist entry.
E-Flora BC: Plantago arenaria atlas page.
CalPhotos: Plantago arenaria photos.
USDA Plants: Plantago arenaria information.
