Palm-leaved Plantain
Plantago palmata (?)
Observed along a trail in Kakamega Forest, Kenya. October 2016.
FLOWERS: Very small flowers are grouped into a tall slender stem. The small, white petals are
obscure, but the papery sepals enlarge after flowering.
PERENNIAL: A long-lived herbaceous perennial survives between seasons by
becoming partially dormant.
LEAVES: Leaves are clustered at ground level and are broadly ovate. The margins are shallowly lobes.
RANGE: Orinally this plant is from the temperate areas of Europe and
Asia, but has since been dispersed to garden and farm areas worldwide. It is
possible that European colonists brought this weed into the Kenyan
together with transplanted crop plants.
FRUIT: Dry oval capsule splits open at maturity releasing two small
seeds each.
UNARMED. No thorns.