Arnoglossum plantagineum

Description

Arnoglossum plantagineum is a large herbaceous perennial up to 100 cm (40 inches) tall, spreading weakly using underground rhizomes. Non-flowering plants have ovate to oval-shaped leaves that are 17 cm wide with long petioles and five to seven nearly parallel veins. On flowering plants, the erect, unbranched stems are angled and grooved and hairless. The leaves become smaller as they progress to the top of the stem and the leaf blades are more broadly egg-shaped with more coarse teethed margins and have shorter stalks. The flowerheads are white or greenish, with typically five flowers per head, the heads are collected together into a branched, flat-topped, inflorescence. The flower involucre typically has five phyllaries arranged in a single row. The ripe seeds (cypselae) are dark brown and fusiform or clavate in shape, and 4–5 mm long, and have from 12 to 15-ribs. The seed pappi are (6–)7–8(–9) mm long. 2n = 54

Habitat

Arnoglossum plantagineum grows in sunny areas with moist to wet soils in wet and mesic prairie, fens, and sedge meadows, and seems to have little tolerance for disturbed habitats such as those grazed by cattle, sprayed with herbicides, or those subject repeated haying. In Minnesota it is found with other declining plants species such as Asclepias sulliavantii and Parthenium integrfolium.

Distribution

Arnoglossum plantagineum is native to the Central United States (Great Lakes, Mississippi Valley, southeastern Great Plains, from Texas east to Alabama and north to Minnesota and Michigan), with additional populations in the Canadian Province of Ontario.

In the US states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, tuberous Indian-plantain is listed as a threatened species, and the state of Tennessee lists it as a species of special concern. In Minnesota the species was relatively common in the southeastern part of the state until recently, when much of its native habitat was converted to farmland, and now is found in isolated remnant colonies along old railroad-right-of-ways. Since this species naturally occurs in low densities these isolated populations may not be able to maintain themselves.

References

References

1. [http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/gcc-29997 The Plant List ''Arnoglossum plantagineum'' Raf. ]
2. "Arnoglossum plantagineum (Tuberous Indian Plantain): Minnesota Wildflowers".
3. [http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ARPL4 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas, Arnoglossum plantagineum Raf. Groovestem Indian plantain, Indian plantain, Prairie plantain, Prairie Indian plantain]
4. [http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pr_ind_plantainx.htm Illinois Wildflowers, Prairie Indian Plantain ''Arnoglossum plantagineum'']
5. The Latin [[Botanical name#Binary name. specific epithet]] ''plantagineum'' refers to the leaves of the plant which are similar to those of a [[True plantain. plantain]].W. T. Parsons, William Thomas Parsons and E. G. Cuthbertson {{Google books. sRCrNAQQrpwC. Noxious Weeds of Australia
6. [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=220001113 Flora of North America Vol. 20 Page 624 ''Arnoglossum plantagineum'' Rafinesque, Fl. Ludov. 65. 1817. ]
7. (1988). "Minnesota's Endangered Flora and Fauna". U of Minnesota Press.
8. "Arnoglossum plantagineum in Flora of North America @ efloras.org".
9. [http://bonap.net/MapGallery/County/Arnoglossum%20plantagineum.png Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map]
10. "Plants Profile for Arnoglossum plantagineum (groovestem Indian plantain)".