Plantago udicola

Plantago udicola plants are small rosettes with a primary root up to 20 mm (0.79 in) thick, with up to 19 usually narrowly angular-obovate leaves, and with visible, short to long (<24 mm long), rust-coloured leaf axillary hairs in the basal rosette. The leaves have 1–5 veins, are 16–186 mm (0.63–7.3 in) long (including petiole) and up to 27 mm wide, usually not punctate, usually with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy on the upper surface, and usually glabrous, with isolated hairs or sparely hairy on the lower surface, particularly the midrib and edges. The leaf usually has an acute apex, and its edges are smooth or wavy or with 4–12 minute or large teeth, and with isolated hairs or sparsely hairy near the teeth. The petiole is usually distinguishable from the leaf lamina, and up to 75 mm long. Each rosette plant has up to 18 erect inflorescences which can be up to 266 mm (10.5 in) long. The scapes are smooth and sparsely to densely hairy. The spikes are usually linear-ovoid with 2–32 densely crowded flowers. Each flower has 1 small bract that is ovate, broadly ovate or very broadly ovate that is sparsely hairy on the margins and otherwise glabrous or with isolated hairs along the midrib. The calyx is 2.2–3.5 mm long, 1.4–2.9 mm wide, with isolated hairs at the apex, otherwise glabrous. …

Plantago udicola is a plantain that is endemic to the North Island and South Island of New Zealand. In the North Island P. udicola is found in the Volcanic Plateau region only. In the South Island it is found in the Western Nelson, Sounds Nelson, Westland, Canterbury, Otago and Fiordland regions. P. udicola grows in wet or damp ground in bogs, streams or hollows on silt or peaty soil in subalpine to alpine tussock or herbfields from 580 to 1,600 m (1,900 to 5,250 ft) above sea level.