Fruits/Seeds
A black to brown seed pod, 3 – 4 mm long contains 1 – 2 yellow to pale brown seeds.
Field Guide
Improve your identification skills. Download your Ribwort Plantain field guide here!
Ribwort Plantain
Did You Know?
- Native to Europe and northern and central Asia
- Classified as a weed in some areas and it may contribute to hayfever
A tussock-like, rosette plant. Tussock size up to 30 cm high and wide with a flower stalk up to 1 m high.
Leaves
Long, sword-shaped and forming a clump. Each individual leaf is 8 – 20 cm long and 1 – 3 cm wide and usually stands upright. There are 5 veins running down each leaf.
Flowers
Small and initially cream, but turn brown rapidly. They grow on top of a ridged, 1 m high flower stem growing from the centre of the tussock of leaves. The flowers form a tight, cylindrical cluster which is 1 – 7 cm long.
What to Observe
-
First fully open single flower
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Full flowering (record all days)
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End of flowering (when 95% of the flowers have faded)
When and Where
When To Look
- From September through to May
- Flowers appear from September to April
Where To Look
- In all Australian states except Northern Territory
- In woodland, grassland, disturbed sites, pastures, lawns and gardens in coastal and inland regions
- Look in gardens and disturbed areas like sports ovals and roadsides
What Else?
Similar Species
Variable Plantain (Plantago varia) leaves usually have a toothed or jagged edge (not smooth like the Ribwort Plantain) and there is a dense tuft of reddish-brown hairs at the base of each leaf. Its flower stem can be shorter, only growing to a height of about 36 cm.
