Plantago palmata Hook. f.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Serena Mountain Lodge, Mount Kenya

Photo: Bart Wursten
Edge of hotel carpark, Serena Mountain Lodge, Mt Kenya

Photo: Bart Wursten
Near Serena Mountain Lodge, Mount Kenya

Photo: Bart Wursten
Edge of hotel carpark, Serena Mountain Lodge, Mt Kenya

Photo: Bart Wursten
Gahinga trail, Volcanoes National Park, Burera

Photo: Bart Wursten
Nyungwe Forest National Park, Rusizi

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms:	Plantago kerstenii Asch.
Common names:
Frequency:	Probably rare in Zimbabwe.
Status:	Probably native
Description:	Perennial herb growing up to 40 cm tall growing from a short with numerous whitish roots. Leaves in a basal rosette, ovate to almost circular in outline with 7-9 lobe-like triangular teeth; long petiolate. Inflorescence a dense spike up to 17 cm long on a peduncle 5 - 30 cm long but often much smaller.
Type location:	Bioko
Notes:	This species has a sporadic and disjunct distribution in Africa and appears to be known only from a single record in Zimbabwe.
Derivation of specific name:	palmata: palmate, like a hand, referring to the lobed leaves.
Habitat:	In disturbed places, along roadsides, in clearings of sub-montane forest, grassland or as a weed of plantations and gardens.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	From Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon to Ethiopia and Kenya, south to Zimbabwe.
FZ divisions:	E
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Images last updated:	Friday 2 June 2017
Literature:	Agnew, A.D.Q. (2013). Upland Kenya Wild Flowers and Ferns Nature Kenya - The East Africa Natural History Society Page 275. (Includes a picture). Fischer, E. & Killmann, D. (2008). Illustrated Field guide to the Plants of Nyungwe National Park Rwanda. University of Koblenz-Landau. Page 746. (Includes a picture). Lehmann, G. (1988). Plantaginaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(1) Pages 9 - 11. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 67. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 189.

Other sources of information about Plantago palmata:

Our websites:

Flora of Burundi: Plantago palmata
Flora of the DRC: Plantago palmata
Flora of Rwanda: Plantago palmata

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Plantago palmata
African Plant Database: Plantago palmata
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Plantago palmata
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Plantago palmata
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Plantago palmata
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Plantago palmata
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Plantago palmata
JSTOR Plant Science: Plantago palmata
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Plantago palmata
Plants of the World Online: Plantago palmata
Tropicos: Plantago palmata
Wikipedia: Plantago palmata