| Plantago depressa Willd. | |
| Publ. & Syn. | Plantago depressa var. turczaninowii Ganesch., Trudy Bot. Muz. Imp. Akad. Nauk 13: 193 (1915). Described from the Irkutsk Oblast (Siberia). - Plantago depressa subsp. turczaninowii (Ganesch.) Tzvelev, Fl. Arct. URSS 8, 2: 19 (1983). |
| Notes | The northern Asian plants differ morphologically from Plantago major (including northwestern North American var. "pilgeri") in 2-6 large seeds per capsule vs. 6-12 (14) comparatively small seeds. Russian authors have assigned these plants to P. depressa. We have confirmed these differences by comparing northeastern Asian and northwestern North American plants (ALA, S). In addition, the leaf shape and pubescence differ. In P. depressa, the blade is more narrowly ovate, often with lobes, with a cuneate base evenly narrowed into the petiole, and evenly pubescent. In P. major s. str., the blade is more rounded and mostly without lobes, with more abrupt transition to the petiole, and with only scattered hairs. Tzvelev (1983) accepted two subspecies of P. depressa to reach the Arctic: subsp. depressa in the lower Lena (Tiksi) and Kolyma districts and East Chukotka and subsp. turczaninowii in West Chukotka. We have too little information yet to evaluate these races. |
| Chromosomes | 12 14 (2x). - Siberia (N, S), Far East (N). - Several reports. |
| Geography | Asian (N/C): SIB* RFE*. |
| Distribution | N = S D = * E = * CE = * Kh = * CW = * [ key ] |
| Parent taxon | Plantago L. |
| PAF ID | 800402 |