Plantago subnuda

This herbaceous perennial grows to 6 inches tall, and its seed stalks, which are extremely striking, stand 1 foot tall. The pink veined leaves are attractively arranged in a low-growing rosette. A grouping of this plant makes an eye-catching design in the native prairie. In your garden provide a sunny situation with some additional water during the dry summer months. This plant needs moist soils, and the seeds are edible. An important larval host plant for butterflies. Native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America. Three native plantains are found in coastal prairies: tall coastal plantain (Plantago subnuda), sea plantain (Plantago maritima) and dwarf plantain (Plantago erecta) also known as California plantain or dotseed plantain). The seed of Plantago is used in Chinese medicine. Found in coastal, salt-marsh. Communitites located in Coastal Salt Marsh, Coastal Sage Scrub, Coastal Prairie, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Wetland-riparian Between 0 and 984 feet .