Wildflower families: Plantaginaceae

Wildflower families: Plantaginaceae, the Plantain family is my latest blog in this series on common flower families.  I was inspired by my online Field Studies Council course taught by Iain Powell.  I do a lot of observing and illustrating wildflowers, so it’s important to know more about their families and similarities and differences.

For definitions of botanical terminology, look at my  basics of botany blog, and a second one on fruit types.  What’s in a name 1 and part 2 discuss Latin names and why they matter.  Some of the other families I’ve examined include the Ranunulaceae (Buttercups), Caryophyllaceae (Campions), Rosaceae (Roses), Fabaceae (Peas), Brassicaceae (Cabbages), with Apicaceae (Carrots), Asteraceae (Daisies), Orchidaceae (Orchids) and Lamiaceae (Dead-nettles)yet to come over the coming months.

Spiked speedwell Veronica spicata

Although I know a bit about wildflowers, I am not a trained botanist.  So if you see a mistake, please let me know, thanks.

Wildflower families: Plantaginaceae

The Plantain family has 90 genera and nearly 2000 species globally.  There’s a massive amount of variety between genera and between species.  Some flowers have 2 petals, others have four.  The Speedwells (Veronica species) are in this family, as are plantains and some of the plants which used to be classed as Figworts, Scrophulareae.

Speedwell

A note on DNA comparison and re-classification of plants

DNA analysis has shown that some flowers which were once placed in the Figwort family have very little to do with others, so they’ve been removed.  Turns out Speedwells and Plantains are close relatives, so the Speedwells join the Plantaginaceae family.  Other families have been added to the Plantain family.  These include Snapdragon Antirrhium, Foxgloves Digitalis, Ivy-leaved toadflax Cymbalaria muralis, and Hebes.

Foxglove flower Digitaria purpurea

Figwort family members that are now in the Plantain family include the Mulleins and Figworts.  Buddlejas (which were in yet another family previously) are also now in the Plantain family.

Butterfly bush Buddleja davidii

Expulsion from the Broomrapes

Meanwhile, some species have been chucked out of the Figworts.  All the Broomrapes Orobanchaceae and Yellow-rattle, have been put in their own family (the Broomrapes).  They are joined by the Louseworts, Spurges, Cow-wheat, and Bartsia.  Keeping up?

Lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica – no longer in the Scrophularaceae (nor Plantaginaceae!), but now in Orobanchaceae.

Plantaginaceae overview

So the plants in this family are really varied.  We can break them into two groups, however, the Plantains and the Veronicaceae (Speedwells). The name Plantaginacea comes from the Latin Planta, meaning young plant or sole of the foot.  However, this only refers to the plantain family.  It’s worth noting that the plantains related to bananas ae nothing to do with this family.

Leaves are often alternate on the stem and whorled or opposite lower down and have no stipules.  Flowers are irregular with four or five fused petals and sepals.  The Speedwell have two stamens, all the other family members have four and flowers can be single or several in a raceme.

Wood speedwell Veronica montana

Plantaginaceae Leaves

Leaves are mostly simple rather than compound and have no stipules.  (For more on simple and compound leaves, check out my blog).

They can be opposite or alternate, and those lower down the plant are frequently in a whorl.  There’s a massive range of variety here, both in leaf arrangement and shape.

Bucks horn plantain Plantago maritima

For more on Plantains, check out the Flora of East Anglia guide.

Foxglove Digitalis leaves are oval and large, and in opposite pairs,  They have little margin teeth. (For more on leaf margins, look at my blog).  Hebe has evergreen leaves with smooth edges, borne in pairs up the stem.  Leaves are small, elliptical and may be variegated.  Speedwell have downy or hairy leaves that range in shape from the toothed paired oval leaves of Germander speedwell Veronica chamaedrys to the softly lobed rounder leaves of Ivy-leaved speedwell Veronica hederifolia.  Snapdragons Antirrhinum have compound leaves, which is unusual for this family. For more on simple and compound leaves, check out my blog).

Germander speedwell Veronica chamaedrys

Plantaginaceae Flowers

Plantain family flowers are bisexual and irregular, having bilateral rather than radial symmetry.  They grow in racemes or as solitary blooms from the leaf axils (as with the Linaria, like Yellow toadflax.)

There are bracts or bracteoles.  The five sepals are fused into a calyx tube.

The Corolla has five united petals (four in the Speedwells) which are often two-lipped.  Examples of this include the Snapdragons and Foxlove Digitalis purpurea.  There’s a lot of variety here.

Toadflax have long spurs at the back of the corolla tube.  Speedwell flowers are flat and forward facing.

Speedwell flower with 4 stamens and Plantain flower with 2 stamens

Stamens are four (but number two in Speedwells.)

The ovary is superior with a nectar producing disc below.

Plantaginaceae Fruit

There are two fused carpels which produce a fruit that is often surrounded by the calyx.  Seeds are numerous and tiny.

Plantaginaceae: Other species

As well as the flowers mentioned, other plants in this variable family include the Ivy-leaved toadflax Cymbalaria muralis, Dwarf snapdragons Chaenorrhium,  Cancerworts or Fuellins Kickxia, the Toadflaxes Linaria, and Weasel snouts Misopates.

Ivy leaved toadflax Cymbalaria muralis

Conclusion

I hope this rather confusing Plantaginaceae wildflower family blog was useful.  I;m still trying to get my head around the new family organisation and bet it shows in this blog!  I’ll be doing one more of these blogs over the coming months.  My references included my FSC botany course, the Common Families of Flowering Plants by Michael Hickey & Clive King, and the excellent Naturespot website.

Sea plantain Plantago maritima