Lanceleaf Water Plantain

An erect, glabrous, emergent herb. Leaves broadly linear-lanceolate, 6-7.5 cm long, 1-1.4 cm broad, somewhat glaucous, cuneately tapering into as long as or much longer petiole, acute. Panicle of (3-) 4-6 ascending branches and pedicels per verticil, 30-40 cm long. Flowers purplish-pink, c. l.2 cm across; pedicels slender, 1.5-l.8 (-2.2) cm long; bracts triangular-ovate, 5-10 mm long, acuminate. Sepals triangular-ovate, c. 3 mm long, c. 2 mm broad, with membranous margins, acute. Petals membranous, oblong, 5-6 mm long, 2-2.5 mm broad, acute. Stamens with c. 2 mm long filaments; anthers elliptic-oblong. Ovaries c. 1 mm long, glabrous; styles longer than the ovaries, erect. Achenes obovate, c. 2-2.5 mm long, pale brown, with 1 or 2 furrows on back. Seeds oblong, c. 1.5 mm long, reddish brown.

Herbs, to 70 cm. Leaves emersed, petiolate; blade lanceolate, 6--23 ´ 1--4.5 cm. Inflorescences to 70 cm. Flowers chasmogamous; sepals 1.6--3 mm; petals purplish pink, 4.4--6.5 mm, margins ± erose, apex acuminate; anthers ellipsoid, 0.6--1.1 mm; style ± curved, 0.4--0.6 mm, equaling ovary length. Fruiting heads 4--8 mm diam; achenes obovoid, 2--2.9 mm, with 1--2 abaxial grooves, beak erect. 2n = 26, 28 (Eurasian material).

Distribution: West Pakistan, Central and South-western Asia, north west Africa and Europe.

introduced; Calif., Oreg.

Fl. Per.: June-September.

Flowering and fruiting summer--fall.

Streams and marshes; 0--500m.