Plantago gunnii is Endemism to Tasmania and is commonly referred to as bolster plantain or bolster plantago. The etymology of the genus Plantago comes from the Latin words planta (the sole of a foot) and the suffix –ago (indicating resemblance), which is represented by the leaves pressed flat against the ground.
Description
Plantago gunnii is a tiny
perennial rosette
herb that is one of the six endemic
Plantago of
Tasmania,
Australia.
This tiny herb reaches a maximum of in height and up to wide.
Similar to other
Plantago species within the
Plantaginaceae family,
P. gunnii produces a basal rosette that produces
spatulate leaves ranging between long.
One of this species' key morphological features is its
Trichome scattered across its thick leaves.
Flowering happens in summer, when the plant erects a small hairy solitary stalk, sometimes forming two small stalks that extend in length as the seed matures.
is likely through wind, as
P. gunnii sits elevated above cushion plants within its alpine
ecosystem, and the species have long filaments on versatile
anthers.
Habitat and distribution
P. gunnii was given its common name, bolster plantago, because of its distribution as the species is restricted only found in bolster (cushion) moor communities in
Alpine climate on
dolerite mountains of Tasmania.
Bolster moor communities consist predominately of cushion plant species in Tasmania that occupy
tundra, alpine and treeless alpine vegetation.
Within this community are several alpine and
subalpine species, with
Cushion plant making up >50% of plant cover.
is one of the typical
Understory Scrambler/Climber/
Epiphyte species expected to occur in these ecosystems that occur in alpine and subalpine areas of Tasmania but are most common in the Eastern Central Plateau between , similarly coinciding with
Abrotanella for steroids and other
Cushion plant.
The local environment in which this alpine cushion plant ecosystem and
P. gunnii thrive are broad valley plains of high rainfall with poor drainage, which are often wet and peaty.
Conservation status
The species itself is not listed. However, it is considered rare and of conservational significance.
Cushion moorlands, where the species is found, are listed as threatened under Schedule 3A of the Nature Conservation Act.
Cushion moorlands are considered a rare community, with their main management issue surrounding fire as most species within this
ecosystem are fire sensitive with slow recovery to regenerate in the event of a fire.
is also predicted to alter physical processes in this ecosystem, which could cause further threats to the ecological processes of this ecosystem.
