Flower:

Pencil-thin spike ½ to 5 inches long at the end of a densely hairy but otherwise naked stem. Flowers are greenish-white with 4 spreading, egg-shaped to triangular petals often rusty brown at the base; yellow stamens are barely visible in the center. The calyx around the base of the flower is densely hairy and less than ¼ inch long. Subtending each flower is narrow, leaf-like bract about ¼ inch long, densely covered in long, white hairs. A plant typically has several flowering stems, sprouting up in succession.

Leaves and stems:

Leaves are basal, spreading to nearly erect, up to 6 inches long and ¼ inch or less wide, linear to lance-linear, toothless, stalkless, and densely covered in long, white hairs. Flowering stems are multiple from the base, erect and densely hairy.

Fruit:

Fruits are rounded, egg shaped capsules about 1/8 inch long with 2 reddish to brown seeds inside. The capsule splits open around the middle, the top coming off like a cap.

Notes:

Native to western North America, Woolly Plantain is considered by some to be adventive from Minnesota eastward but we're inclined to think Minnesota is at the eastern edge of its natural range. The DNR also lists 2 varieties in the state (vars. patagonica and spinulosa), but all of our available references call them synonyms of the same species, so we're going with the flow on that, too. Woolly Plantain is commonly found along roadsides and railroads, but also in higher grade prairie habitat. The densely hairy spikes and hairy, narrow leaves make it easy to distinguish from other Plantago species.