Ribwort Plantain - Plantago lanceolata
Low to medium plant with several leaf rosettes. Leaves linear lanceolate to lanceolate, slightly toothed or untoothed, 3 to 5 veined, strongly ribbed and stalked. Flowers brown, 4 mm in short blackish spikes on ridged stalks, exceeding the leaves, anthers pale yellow.
Roadsides, meadows, waste ground.
April to October.
Perennial.
Very common throughout Britain.
Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 599 of the 617 tetrads.
David Nicholls
Groby Pool
10 May 2008
Dylan
Melton Dalby Road/River Eye
04 September 2024
leaves
David Nicholls
Groby Pool
10 May 2008 Leicester Road by quarry wall Sapcote SP 4968 9336 (taken 27.4.2008)..JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
27 April 2008
AJ Cann
Ketton Quarry
08 May 2016
David Nicholls
Newtown Linford Churchyard
20 July 2023
Fran Marsland
Broughton Astley
17 July 2012
 Leicester Road by quarry wall Sapcote SP 4968 9336 (taken 27.4.2008)..JPG)
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Species profile
- Common names
- Ribwort Plantain
- Species group:
- Wildflowers
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Lamiales
- Family:
- Plantaginaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 704
- First record:
- 21/09/1998 (Anthony Fletcher)
- Last record:
- 14/01/2025 (Pugh, Dylan)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
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Latest images
Latest records
 Old Fosse Sapcote SP 5030 9289 (taken 11.7.2008).JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
11 July 2008 Leicester Road by quarry wall Sapcote SP 4968 9336 (taken 1.5.2008).JPG)
Graham Calow
Sapcote
01 May 2008
David Nicholls
North Kilworth Marina, GU Canal
03 January 2023
David Nicholls
Ratby Village Pond
05 May 2011
Ron.stevens
Broughton Astley
24 June 2011- Ron.stevens
Broughton Astley
24 June 2011 
HAPeacock
Goss Meadows
13 May 2012
Barbara Cooper
Holwell Nature Reserve
17 May 2012
Alan Semper
Harby nature reserve
05 June 2012
Alan Semper
Harby nature reserve
05 June 2012
HAPeacock
The Orchards
19 June 2012
 Old Fosse Sapcote SP 5030 9289 (taken 11.7.2008).JPG)
 Leicester Road by quarry wall Sapcote SP 4968 9336 (taken 1.5.2008).JPG)
Phytomyza plantaginis
The larva of the fly Phytomyza plantaginis mines the leaves of various Plantain species including Ribwort Plantain producing a long, linear, whitish narrow mine; normally in the leaf, but sometimes in the stem. The pupa is formed at the end of the mine and in the lower surface of the leaf.