388 PLANTAGINES (Cooke). | Plantago. 
I. PLANTAGO, Linn. 
Flowers hermaphrodite or polygamo-dicecious, each supported by 
a bract. Calya 4lobed; segments subequal or the two outer 
larger. Corolla-tube cylindric or ampulliform ; lobes 4. Stamens 4, 
inserted on the corolla-tube. Ovary usually 2-celled with 1 to 
several ovules in each cell ; style simple. Capsule membranous, 
circumscissilely dehiscing at the middle or near the base. Seeds 2 
to several; albumen fleshy ; embryo straight or curved ; radicle 
inferior. 
Annual or perennial herbs, often stemless with the leaves in a radical rosette ; 
leaves various, usually entire ; flowers inconspicuous, spicate or eapitate, each 
subtended by a single bract. 
Distris. Species nearly 200, cosmopolitan. 
Capsules many-seeded : 
Leaves 1-4 in. long; spikes less than 6 in. long ... (1) major. 
Leaves 8-12 in. long; spikes reaching 1 ft.long ... (2) dregeana. 
Capsules few-seeded : 
Anticous sepals connate for nearly their entire length ; 
capsules 2-seeded_... Ae he = ... (3) lanceolata. 
Sepals all free : 
Corolla-tube glabrous ; capsules 2-seeded : 
Leaves linear, sessile ; rootstock not woolly : 
Spikes 1} in. long, cylindric... ast ... (4) cafra. 
Spikes 2-8 lin. long, subglobose or ovoi ... (5) capillaris. 
Leaves elliptic or lanceolate, with long petioles ; 
rootstock woolly : 
Flowers closely arranged along the rhachis of 
the spike except near its very base ; leaves 
elliptic-oblong “at ey oa eet 
Flowers in distant fascicles along the rhachis of 
the spike ; leaves lanceolate és ... (7) remota. 
Corolla-tube hairy ; capsules 2-4-seeded_... ... (8) earnosa. 
(6) lengissime. 
1. P. major (Linn. Sp. Pl. ed. i. 112) ; a perennial stemless herb 
with an erect stout rootstock ; leaves radical, 1-4 in. long, of 
variable width, ovate or ovate-oblong, acute or subacute, entire or 
toothed, nearly glabrous, 3-7- (commonly 5-) nerved, tapering into 
the petiole ; petioles usually longer than blades, channelled, sheathing 
at the base; flowers scattered or crowded, in rather lax spikes 2-4 
in. or more long ; bracts 3-1 lin. long, broadly ovate-oblong, obtuse, 
glabrous, with scabrous margins ; sepals | lin. long, broadly oblong 
or rotund-ovate, obtuse, obtusely keeled on the back and with 
scarious margins ; corolla-tube ,%; lin. long ; lobes lin. long, ovate- 
lanceolate, acute, reflexed ; anthers 2 lin. long; style } lin. long; 
capsules ellipsoid, 1} lin. long, the top coming off circumscissilely as 
a conical lid tipped with the remains of the style; seeds 4-8 in 
each cell, 2 lin. long, angular dull black. Decne in DC. Prodr. xm. 
