Plantaginaceae
Plantaginaceae Juss. comprises approximately 95–100 genera and 1,900–2,000 species, distributed worldwide across temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. Modern molecular phylogenetic studies have greatly expanded the circumscription of Plantaginaceae to include numerous genera formerly assigned to Scrophulariaceae, such as Veronica, Digitalis, Antirrhinum, Linaria, and Bacopa. Members exhibit remarkable morphological diversity but are generally characterized by simple leaves, sympetalous flowers, superior ovaries, and capsular fruits.
Key characteristics
- Herbs, aquatic plants, or small shrubs
- Leaves simple, alternate, opposite, or basal
- Usually exstipulate
- Flowers mostly zygomorphic
- Corolla sympetalous, often bilabiate
- Stamens usually four
- Ovary superior
- Fruit a capsule with numerous seeds
Distribution
Plantaginaceae has a cosmopolitan distribution, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. Members inhabit grasslands, forests, wetlands, deserts, alpine meadows, agricultural fields, roadsides, aquatic habitats, and disturbed environments, with the greatest diversity in temperate regions. In Pakistan, Plantaginaceae is widely distributed throughout, the Salt Range, Potohar Plateau, and Himalayan regions. Species occur in cultivated fields, grasslands, alpine meadows, wetlands, roadsides, forests, riverbanks, and disturbed habitats. Important genera include Plantago, Veronica, Linaria, Digitalis, and Bacopa.