Greater Plantain - Plantago major

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Alternative names
Broad-Leaved Plantain
Description

Low to short plant with a solitary, or several leaf rosettes. Leaves oval to elliptical, irregularly toothed or untoothed 5 to 9 veined, thick and dark green. Flowers greenish yellow, 3 mm in more or less equalling the unridged stalks. Anthers pale purplish turning yellowish brown.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Grassy and waste places, roadsides and footpaths.

When to see it

June to October.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 603 of the 617 tetrads

  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    15 July 2006
  • David Nicholls
    Barrow Upon Soar
    15 July 2011
  • Dylan
    Melton The Crescent
    30 July 2023
  • David Nicholls
    Ratby
    30 March 2014
  • Steve Mathers
    Grantham Canal (Harby to Stathern Bridge)
    08 August 2016
  • Fran Marsland
    Broughton Astley
    17 July 2012

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Ratstail Plantain, Greater Plantain
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Lamiales
Family:
Plantaginaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
501
First record:
11/05/1992 (John Mousley;Steve Grover)
Last record:
12/11/2024 (Smith, Peter)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    04 July 2008
  • Graham Calow
    Broughton Astley
    24 June 2011
  • Alan Semper
    Harby footpath
    11 September 2011
  • Alan Semper
    Harby churchyard
    15 July 2012
  • David Nicholls
    Ashby Canal, Shackerstone
    15 September 2012
  • Alan Semper
    Melton Country Park
    04 October 2012
  • Alan Semper
    Melton Country Park
    04 October 2012
  • David Gould
    Aylestone Meadows, Leicester.
    08 August 2015