Plantago?

This post was edited by jaynine on Thu, Aug 15, 13 at 9:42

Looks a bit like skunk cabbage to me. Do the leaves have a particular odor if you break off a small piece?

Not plantain and definately not skunk cabbage

Do you have lots of it? If so, dig one up and photograph the root structure. Sometimes that can help with id.

Here are some more pics comparing the unknown plant to plantain. I had lots of "experts" tell me it's broadleaf plantain. It isn't the broadleaf plantain that I've seen all of my life.
You can see how much larger than plantain the unknown plant is. The vein structure is different, too.

The stems are different than plantain also. Plantain stems are green and these are dark purple to almost black.

Here is a photo of the roots as was suggested earlier. They too are different than the plantain on the left.
I'm pretty sure I've determined that it isn't plantain!

My best guess is going to be Plantago rugelii (blackseed plantain). We don't have them out here but they are really common out east and are often/easily confused with Plantago major.

Both grow in similar areas, but the blackseed is bigger with the purple petioles and tends to prefer wetter environments (under trees, etc) as opposed to the broadleaf which can grow in drier environments (exposed lawns).

It is hard to see if it is growing in a nice rosette from the photos. If you pull the leaf apart, plantains often will have little threads left where the major veins were. Also the roots can feel fibery. Flowers stalks will be the most informative but most plantains make a nice salad.

I've seen the same weed - or something very similar. And I see that you're in PA... as am I. I left one last year to see what it would do, and it got small, nondescript, while aster-like flowers, held on stems well above the foliage. I wish I'd taken pictures of it for ID. I do not believe it to be a plantago.