scale bar = 1cm.

Ribwort - introduced (*Plantago lanceolata)

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Other names: Flat Weed, Soldiers, Common Plantain.

Family: Plantaginaceae (Plantain family).

Native of Europe and Asia.

Occurrence: Ribwort is one of the most abundant and widespread weeds of the Central Goldfields. It is a very common lawn weed, and grows on roadsides, farmland and waste places, and in otherwise native vegetation.

Identification:

Ribwort often has unusual growth, such as the growth of leaves above the flowers.

It has sometimes been called “White Man’s Foot”, from its habit of appearing as a weed following European settlement in foreign countries.

Similar species: Several other plantains are common. Greater Plantain is found in wet areas. It has much broader, and usually much larger leaves. Buck’s-horn Plantain has toothed leaves, and a longer flower cluster. The native Variable Plantain is a common plant of the box-ironbark forests. It has toothed leaves, and the flower cluster is interrupted by gaps.

Photos: 1: Leaf. 2: Flowering stalks.
The anthers are a conspicuous part of the flower clusters. The flowering stem is ribbed. Castlemaine. img