Plantago subnuda
Mexican plantain
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Plantaginaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Plantago subnuda (Mexican plantain) is a native California herb in the Plantaginaceae family, recognized by large size and unisexual flowers.
Mexican plantain is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including northern Coast, Central Coast, San Francisco Bay, southern Coast, and northern Channel Islands in wet meadows, ditches, coastal bluffs, and marshes at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces pale flowers in dense cylindric spikes 8 to 30 centimeters long. Growing with stout fibrous roots and erect stems 12 to 40 centimeters tall, it develops a robust caudex. Its leaves are elliptic-oblanceolate, tapering to a wide petiole and ranging from entire to finely toothed, typically 12 to 40 centimeters in length. The plant produces small seeds approximately 1.6 millimeters long, with flowers featuring delicate lanceolate corolla lobes about 3 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 14 sympatric species; diagnostic large size and unisexual flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet meadows, ditches, coastal bluffs, marshes
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: Humboldt, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Napa, Contra Costa, San Francisco, Marin, Monterey, Solano, Mendocino, San Mateo, Del Norte, Alameda, Trinity
Outside California: to central Mexico
Bloom period
Plantago subnuda blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Carex: Plantago has broad ribbed leaves in rosettes; Carex has narrow grass-like leaves in 3 ranks.; vs Rumex: Plantago leaves have parallel veins; Rumex leaves have a prominent central midvein with branching veins.; vs Dudleya: Plantago has thin ribbed leaves; Dudleya has thick succulent leaves.; vs Micropus: Plantago has dense cylindrical spikes; Micropus has woolly flower heads in leaf axils.; vs Amsinckia: Plantago has parallel-veined leaves in rosettes; Amsinckia has bristly alternate leaves on upright stems.
Frequently asked questions
Is Plantago subnuda native to California?
Yes. Plantago subnuda is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Plantago subnuda bloom?
Plantago subnuda blooms May-Sep.
Where in California does Plantago subnuda grow?
Plantago subnuda occurs in Humboldt, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Sonoma, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo and other counties, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Plantago subnuda belong to?
Plantago subnuda is in the Plantaginaceae family, genus Plantago.
What habitat does Plantago subnuda grow in?
Plantago subnuda grows in Wet meadows, ditches, coastal bluffs, marshes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.