Plantago novae-zelandiae L.B.Moore

Rosette plants; primary root 4–15 mm thick. Leaves all basal, 10–40 to per rosette, usually brown, rarely green when dry, usually narrowly angular–obovate or angular–obovate, rarely narrowly obovate or narrowly rhombic, widest point usually above middle, rarely at middle, 23–88 mm long, 4–19 mm wide; axillary hairs rust coloured, slightly to very obvious, up to 2–10 mm long. Lamina narrowly elliptic, narrowly rhombic, rhombic or narrowly angular–ovate, widest point usually at middle, rarely above middle, 16–88 mm long, usually punctate, rarely not punctate, with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy, often patchy adaxially, glabrous or with isolated hairs especially near midrib abaxially; hairs patent and 0.6–4.5 mm; veins 1–3; lamina apex usually acute, rarely obtuse; base usually attenuate, rarely cuneate; margins entire or subentire with wavy and irregular margins, with 0–6 minute, rarely medium, obtuse teeth up to 0.1–2.3 mm long, glabrous, with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy, sometimes patchy; petiole sometimes distinguishable from lamina, 5–30 mm long, 1.9–6.8 mm wide at narrowest point. Inflorescences erect, 3–14 per rosette, 62–136 mm long (including spikes); scapes usually elongating before anthesis, rarely sessile, not ribbed, 1–115 mm long, 6–9 mm thick at fruiting, with isolated hairs, sparsely hairy or densely hairy; trichomes usually patent, type ‘g’ (proximally), antrorse, type ‘i’ (distally), rarely type ‘i’ only; spikes usually globose or ovoid, rarely long and linear–ovoid, 6–21 mm long, 6–9 mm thick at fruiting. Flowers 2–20 per spike, usually densely crowded, rarely more distant below (up to 4 mm apart); bracts 1 per flower, broadly ovate or very broadly ovate, acute, 2.2–3.2 mm long, 1.0–1.9 mm wide (as is), 2.0–3.4 mm wide (flattened); bract margins glabrous and outer surface glabrous; bract axils sparsely to densely hairy, 0.7–1.5 mm long; calyx usually longer, rarely shorter than capsule, 2.3–3.2 mm long, 1.6–2.7 mm wide; calyx lobes usually narrowly ovate or ovate, rarely broadly ovate, usually acute, rarely obtuse, 2.1–3.1 mm long, 1.2–1.8 mm wide; calyx lobe margins scarious and usually glabrous, rarely with isolated hairs at apex, middle coloured part 0.5–1.0 mm wide, outer surface glabrous; corolla tube 1.8–3.0 mm long, longer than lobes; corolla lobes narrowly ovate, acute, 1.3–2.2 mm long, 0.6–1.2 mm wide; stamen filaments 3.2–5.8 mm long, attached to lower half of corolla tube 0.8–1.3 mm from tube base; anthers 1.3–1.4 mm long (including appendix); style 3.0–6.0 mm long, densely hairy throughout or at least lower 1/3; stigma filiform, undifferentiated from style; ovary 0.9–1.9 mm long, 0.7–1.7 mm wide; ovules 4. Capsules usually ellipsoid, broadly ellipsoid or globose, rarely ovoid, broadly ovoid or angular–obovoid, widest at usually middle or lower half, rarely upper half, septum not reaching top of capsule, not forming an upper compartment to one side, 1.6–3.6 mm long, 1.3–2.9 mm wide, 0.7–1.9 mm deep; lower portion 0.8–2.1 mm long, cup-shaped. Seeds 1–4 per capsule, uniform, ellipsoid, rust, brown or dark brown, 1.3–2.1 mm long, 0.6–1.2 mm wide; edges rounded.

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