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. The petals form a corolla tube
with 4 papery perianth lobes which persist after
flowering.
There are 4 stamens with long filaments and large
cream anthers.
There is a single linear stigma in flowers in a zone
above the stamens. The flowers are protogynous.
Flowers have 4 purple sepals.
The leaves are fleshy linear, pointed and variably
pinnate.
Scapes and leaves are downy.
Buck's -horn Plantain on a coastal wall
At the top of a salt marsh
Scape with flowering spike, flowers with
stigmas above those with stamens
Flowers with purple sepals, stamens
and remains of perianth lobes
Close-up of 4 stamens and 4
perianth lobes
Flower spike- purple sepals with
projecting stigmas
Basal rosette of leaves
Hairy divided leaves and downy scape
Rosette of less pinnate leaves on shingle,
Weymouth, Dorset
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