Family: plantains (Plantaginaceae)
Flowering time: May–July
Size: 50–70 cm
Habitat: floodplain and wet meadows
At first glance the tall plantain (Plantago altissima) is very similar to the narrow-leaved plantain, but it is much larger and also much rarer than the latter. The tall plantain hides a horizontal rhizome in the soil, from which upright leaves rise, forming a basal rosette. Along the edge of its narrow-lanceolate leaves are a few pale teeth that are widely spaced. A dense spike-like inflorescence (sessile flowers) at the top of the erect stem forms inconspicuous four-parted flowers, produced by white anthers on the protruding filaments. The terminal and cauline leaves are translucent – dry-skinned. The lateral cauline bracts are hairy along the edge – threadlike.
The tall plantain thrives on floodplain meadows, mainly in the south and southwest of Slovenia; elsewhere in Slovenia it is rare.
