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Plant Profile

Heartleaf Plantain (Plantago cordata)

A close view of the small, pinkish-white flowers of the heart-leaved plantain. Photo Credit:

Global Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure
Legal Status: N/A
Family: Plantaginaceae
State: AL, AR, DC, GA, IL, IN, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, NY, OH, ON, SC, TN, WI
Nature Serve ID: 155726
Lifeform: Forb/herb
Date Inducted in National Collection: 03/14/1986

Description:

The heartleaf plantain is a semi-aquatic plant that is found primarily in central and northeastern U.S. and Canada, with disjunct populations occurring in Georgia and possibly Florida. (Bowles and Apfelbaum 1987) This species has declined throughout much of its range, with a number of Midwestern populations now extirpated or at existing only as small remnant populations. The largest, most healthy populations exist in areas with unaltered watersheds (Morgan 1980). This perennial herb has a rosette of large (up to 10 inches long), heart-shaped leaves that have distinct veins arising from their midvein and radiating outwards. These leaves are found on the plant only in the summer. During the winter months, small, lance or spatula-shaped leaves take their place, and transition in size during the spring and fall seasons. The aptly-named heartleaf plantain begins to flower in mid-April, producing 80 to 130 small whitish flowers along flowering spikes that can grow one or even two feet in height. Its flowers are wind-pollinated, but capable of self-pollination (Tessene 1969; Meagher et al. 1978).

Where is Heartleaf Plantain (Plantago cordata) located in the wild?

Habitat:

Found in areas of dolomitic limestone, often growing in rock crevices or gravel bars in shallow, clear streams running through heavily wooded area. This species requires a very specific stream habitat, in which the processes of erosion and deposition are regular and predictable--agricultural or quarrying practices that increase the erosion rate and sediment load in a stream have a detrimental effect on this species. (Bowles and Apfelbaum 1987, Species at Risk 2001)

Distribution:

Ontario, Canada (rare), Alabama (rare), Arkansas (rare), District of Colombia (historic/extirpated), Florida (rare), Georgia (present), Iowa (historic/extirpated), Illinois (rare), Indiana (rare), Ken

States & Provinces:

Heartleaf Plantain can be found in Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Ontario, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin

Which CPC Partners conserve Heartleaf Plantain (Plantago cordata)?

Holden Forests and Gardens

Conservation Actions

Tina Stanley

03/14/2023

Missouri Botanical Garden holds accessions of Plantago cordata in orthodox seed banking.

10/08/2020

Research at CREW demonstrated that seeds of these species are desiccation tolerant and can survive cryopreservation and storage in liquid nitrogen (Pence et al., 2006). Seeds showed good germination after over a decade of storage in liquid nitrogen (Ballesteros and Pence, 2017).

10/08/2020

10/08/2020

10/08/2020

Valerie Pence

01/08/2018

Nature Serve Biotics

05/02/2017

Population has declined drastically everywhere except MO, where it appears to be stable. Extremely sensitive to changes in water quality. Very narrow habitat preference, yet can be locally common. 1994: Additional sites located in New York and Georgia, in particular, showing that species has two other areas of stability. A number of sites in Missouri protected now, with additional populations being discovered; reranked G4 in discussion with Missouri HP 16Dec94.

Dorothy M. Brazis

01/01/2010

Habitat loss/destruction Cannot survive severe modifications to habitat Increased water flow as a seedling Grazing cattle Erosion Siltation Bank slumping Encroaching urban sprawl Destruction of forests Trampling by livestock Damming of streams

Dorothy M. Brazis

01/01/2010

In Ohio, there are records in Adams, Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Erie, Franklin, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, and Scioto counties. Nine stations are known in Illinois (Herkert and Ebinger 2002) 2 Known populations in Mississippi Common in Missouri, with the most numerous and large populations known from this state. Known from two populations in Ontario, Canada (Species at Risk 2001)

Dorothy M. Brazis

01/01/2010

A number of populations are located on state and federal lands, where it is relatively protected. Unfortunately, anything that affects the quality of water in the streams of a watershed will impact this species, so these populations are potentially vulnerable to outside influences.