Plantago spathulata Hook.f.

Rosette plants; primary root 6–13 mm thick. Leaves all basal, 10–28 to per rosette, brown when dry, usually narrowly angular–obovate, sometimes narrowly obovate, rarely narrowly rhombic or angular–obovate, widest point above middle, rarely at middle, 18–118 mm long, 7–29 mm wide; axillary hairs rust coloured, slightly to very visible, up to 2–9 mm long. Lamina elliptic, narrowly rhombic, rhombic, obovate or angular–obovate, widest point usually at middle, sometimes above middle, rarely below middle, 8–118 mm long, not punctate, with patches of isolated hairs or sparsely or densely hairy adaxially, glabrous, with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy abaxially; hairs patent and 0.4–1.9 mm; veins 1–3(–5); lamina apex acute or obtuse; base attenuate or cuneate; margins entire or subentire with wavy and irregular margins, with 0–12 minute, small or medium, rarely large, obtuse, regular or irregular teeth up to 0.3–4.0 mm long, sparsely or densely hairy especially near teeth; petiole usually distinguishable from lamina, 2–27 mm long, 1.1–5.7 mm wide at narrowest point. Inflorescences erect, 4–22 per rosette, 58–212 mm long (including spikes); scapes usually elongating before anthesis, rarely sessile, not ribbed, 1–188 mm long, 5–8 mm thick at fruiting, sparsely to densely hairy, especially near top; trichomes antrorse, type ‘i’; spikes usually long and linear–ovoid, sometimes ovoid, rarely globose, 5–25 mm long, 5–8 mm thick at fruiting. Flowers 3–26 per spike, densely crowded; bracts 1 per flower, ovate, broadly ovate or very broadly ovate, acute, 2.0–3.5 mm long, 0.8–1.8 mm wide (as is), 1.4–2.8 mm wide (flattened); bract margins with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy and outer surface glabrous or with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy along midrib; bract axils usually with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy, rarely densely hairy, 0.5–1.7 mm long; calyx usually shorter, rarely longer than capsule, 2.1–4 mm long, 1.4–4.7 mm wide; calyx lobes ovate, acute, 2.0–3.4 mm long, 1.1–1.8 mm wide; calyx lobe margins scarious and sparsely hairy or with isolated hairs especially at apex, middle coloured part 0.4–0.9 mm wide, outer surface usually sparsely hairy or with isolated hairs on midrib, rarely glabrous; corolla tube 1.7–3.3 mm long, usually longer than lobes; corolla lobes usually ovate, rarely broadly ovate, acute, 1.2–2.0 mm long, 0.8–1.3 mm wide; stamen filaments 3.4–4.6 mm long, attached to usually lower half, rarely upper half of corolla tube 0.7–1.6 mm from tube base; anthers 1.7–2.2 mm long (including appendix); style 4.0–7.9 mm long, densely hairy throughout; stigma filiform, undifferentiated from style; ovary 0.7–1.2 mm long, 0.6–1.1 mm wide; ovules 3–4. Capsules usually broadly ellipsoid, ellipsoid, ovoid or broadly ovoid, rarely rhomboid or broadly rhomboid, widest at lower half or middle, septum usually reaching top of capsule, not forming an upper compartment to one side, 1.8–4.2 mm long, 1.4–2.9 mm wide, 0.6–2.3 mm deep; lower portion 0.7–2.2 mm long, cup-shaped. Seeds 1–4 per capsule, usually uniform, rarely of two size classes, ellipsoid or broadly ellipsoid, rarely narrowly ellipsoid, rust, brown or dark brown, 1.1–2.2 mm long, 0.4–1.4 mm wide; edges rounded.

[Reproduced from Meudt (2012, New Zealand J. Bot. 50: 101–178) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]

Flowering: Oct.–Feb.