Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Narrow Leaf Plantain

Narrow Leaf Plantain, closeup of inflorescence

I like Plantago lanceolata, Narrowleaf Plantain. This is my excuse for leaving it unmolested in the lawn, but if you take a close look at the inflorescences, you see their charm. These tiny white anthers are attached to the stamens in such a way that they quiver and dance with the slightest breeze. They're never quite still.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've never taken so close a look before. Far out.

Rebecca Clayton said...

Strange, aren't they?

Larry said...

Avid mowers in the Hannibal region call plantains "buckhorn" or sometimes "buckeye". These plants have a genius for waiting until just after a mowing to pop up their flower-stalks.

Nice close-up shot!

Rebecca Clayton said...

I've never heard those names, Larry. Thanks for sharing them.