Plantago cretica


Plantago cretica is a species of plant in the family Plantaginaceae known by the common name Cretan plantain.

Description and Biology

It is a tumbleweed, densely tufted annual plant. The leaves are in basal rosette, entire, narrow-linear and woolly, upright, to 15 cm.
The inflorescences and short flowering stalks are densely creamy to brown-hairy, curling downwards after flowering to form a dense mass at the base of the plant. Flowering from March to May.

Habitat

Dry, sandy and rocky soils.

Distribution

This Mediterranean species is native to Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey. It has been introduced in Australia.