Plantago coronopus
Plantaginaceae
May to October
It is found all round the coast.
Inland it occurs in the Southeast, East Anglia and parts of the
Midlands and the far Southwest.
See the BSBI distribution map for Buck's-horn Plantain
It grows on coastal grassland, walls, waste ground, shingle
beaches, sand dunes, sea-cliffs, cliff-top paths and heaths.
Inland, it grows in sandy places and by salt-treated roads.
Buck's-horn Plantain is a native, prostrate, perennial herb,
growing up to 20cm.
The flowers are in spikes (2-4cm) on often curved scapes
up to 20cm.
Flowers are up to 3mm, and have 4 papery sepals which
persist after flowering.
The petals form a corolla tube with 4 lobes (difficult to see).
There are 4 stamens with long filaments and large cream anthers.
There is a sinlgle style and stigma.
The leaves are fleshy linear, pointed and variably pinnate.
Scapes and leaves are downy.
Buck's -horn Plantain on a coastal wall
Scape with flowering spike
Flowers with stamens
Close-up of flower - 4 stamens, 4 sepals
Spike with remains of flowers - sepals
Sepals on un-open spike on curved scape
Basal rosette of leaves
Hairy divided leaves and downy scape
Rosette of less pinnate leaves on shingle,
Weymouth, Dorset
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