Plantago patagonica Jacq.

Annual, much like no. 14 [Plantago aristata Michx.], but smaller, more strongly woolly-villous, and with the bracts seldom much over 5 mm and scarcely or not at all exserted from the spike; 2n=20. Dry prairies and plains; native in the cordilleran region and in s. S. Amer., intr. e. to Ill. and occasionally to the Atlantic states. Our plants are apparently identical with those from S. Amer., but the name var. gnaphalioides (Nutt.) A. Gray is available should a segregation prove possible. (P. purshii) Occasional plants with the lower bracts conspicuously short-exserted from the spike have been called P. patagonica var. spinulosa (Decne.) A. Gray, and may indicate introgression from P. aristata. (P. spinulosa)

It is a temperate plant. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 2,000 m above sea level.

The seeds are ground and made into a mush. The young leaves and stems are boiled and mixed with onions.