革叶车前 ge ye che qian

Plantago griffithii Decaisne in A. Candolle, Prodr. 13(1): 700. 1852 ["griffithsii"]; P. gentianoides var. laxa Pilger; P. gentianoides var. tatarica (Decaisne) Pilger; P. griffithii var. alpina Bornmüller; P. griffithii var. pamirica Fedtschenko; P. tatarica Decaisne.

Herbs, perennial. Roots numerous, fibrous. Leaves basal, glabrous or sparsely pubescent when young; petiole 1-3(-4) cm, broadly winged; leaf blade thinly leathery to leathery when dry, ovate, broadly ovate, or broadly elliptic, (1-)2-6 × 1.5-2.5 cm, veins 3 or 5, base broadly cuneate to subrounded and decurrent onto petiole, margin entire, repand, or shallowly crenate below middle, apex acute to acuminate. Spikes capitate to cylindric, 1-3 cm, densely flowered or interrupted basally; peduncle 2-10 cm, apically appressed pubescent; bracts broadly ovate to broadly ovate-triangular, 2.2-2.5 mm, glabrous, keel broad but not extending to apex. Sepals 2-2.5 mm, glabrous, keel narrower than on bract and extending to apex; lower sepals broadly obovate-elliptic to broadly elliptic; upper sepals broadly elliptic to elliptic. Corolla white turning brown when dry, glabrous; lobes ovate to broadly ovate, 1.2-1.3 mm, patent to reflexed, apex sometimes emarginate. Stamens adnate only to near base of corolla tube, exserted; anthers yellowish brown when dry, ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 mm. Pyxis ellipsoid to ovoid, apex truncate, circumscissile near base, with 2-4(-7) seeds. Seeds brown to blackish brown, ellipsoid, ca. 2 mm, angled, ventral face flat; cotyledons parallel to ventral side. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep. 2n = 12.

Riverbanks, moist stony pastures; 3000-4300 m. SW Xinjiang, NW Xizang [Afghanistan, Kashmir, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan; SW Asia (Iran)].

Plantago gentianoides subsp. gentianoides occurs in SE Europe and differs from subsp. griffithii by having leaf blade ovate-lanceolate to broadly ovate, herbaceous to papery when dry, base cuneate, apex acute, and anthers yellow when dry.