Study species
Plantago lanceolata L. (Plantaginaceae) is a short-lived
perennial herb with a typical lifespan of 2-5 yr (Lacey et al .
2003, Roach 2003), although some individuals may exceed 12 yr (Caverset al . 1980). Plants have one or more vegetative rosettes.
Inflorescences emerge in late spring or summer; flowers are mostly
self-incompatible and both wind- and insect-pollinated, (Clifford 1962,
Sagar & Harper 1964). Plantago lanceolata is native to Europe,
Western Asia and North Africa, although it has been introduced
worldwide, mainly during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (Hooker
1867, Cavers et al . 1980, Meyers & Liston 2008). The species
occurs in a range of mostly open habitats, such as grasslands, sand
dunes or disturbed sites, showing a wide environmental niche (Fig. 2;
Sagar & Harper 1964).