PLANTAIN FAMILY 805 



the tube of the corolla; anthers 2-celled, versatile, opening lengthwise. 

 Fruit a circumscissile capsule; seeds one to several in each cell, amphitro- 

 pous; endosperm fleshy. 



1. PL ANT AGO (Tourn.) L. PLANTAIN, RIBGRASS. 



Annual or perennial herbs, in ours acaulescent and with basal leaves only. 

 Blades often broad, prominently ribbed. Flowers spicate, in an elongate spike, 

 sometimes conspicuously bracted. Calyx-lobes equal, or 2 longer. Corolla 

 mostly salver-shaped, constricted at the throat. Capsule more or less membran- 

 ous. Seeds with flattened or concave faces. 



Flowers all perfect; corolla not closed over the fruit; stamens 4. 



Leaves lanceolate to ovate; neither leaves nor spike silky pubescent or lanate; sta- 

 mens in all the flowers long-exserted. 

 Spike cylindrical; seeds not concave on the faces. 



Leaves ovate, abruptly contracted at the base; seeds more than 2 in each 



cell. 

 Pyxis dehiscent at the middle, round-ovoid, obtusish; leaves usually thick 



and the dense spike obtuse. 1. P. major. 



Pyxis dehiscent far below the middle, elongate-ovoid, very acute; leaves 



thin and the lax spike acute. 2. P. asiaiica. 



Leave? lanceolate, gradually tapering into the petioles; seeds not more than 2 



in each cell. 



Leaves thin: plant not woolly at the base. 3. P. Tweedyi. 



Leaves thick. 



Plant sparingly pubescent, with red or brown wool at the base. 



4. P. eriopoda. 

 Plant copiously villous with jointed hairs, not woolly at the base. 



5. P. septala. 

 Spike short, oblong, 1-3 cm. long; seeds concave on the faces; leaves narrowly 



lanceolate. 6. P. lanceolata. 



Leaves linear; leaves or peduncles or both more or less pubescent with long silky 



hairs; anther in the more fertile flowers included; seeds solitary in each cell, 



concave on the faces. 



Bracts aiistate or herbaceous, at least the lower ones 2-many tunes as long as 



the flowers. 

 Bracts all much exceeding the flowers. 



Plant dark green; spike compact. 7. P. aristata. 



Plant light green; spike more slender. 8. P. spinulosa. 



Upper bract? scarcely exceeding the flowers. 9. P. xerodea. 



Bracts neither aristate nor foliaceous, slightly if at all exceeding the flowers. 

 Bracts linear-subulate; spike long-cylindric. 10. P. Purshii. 



Bracts ovate, obtuse; spike globose to oblong. 11. P. scariosa. 



Flowers subdioecious or polygamo-dioecious ; corolla in the fertile plant remaining closed 

 or early closing over the capsule ; stamens 2 ; leaves filiform. 12. P. elongata. 



1. P. major L. Perennial; leaves petioled; blades oval or ovate, sparingly 

 pubescent or glabrous, 5-35 cm. long, 5-7-ribbed ; entire or coarsely toothed; 

 scape 8-15 cm. long; spike dense, 4-20 cm. long; sepals ovate, acute, not keeled; 

 corolla-lobes spreading or reflexed; pyxis ovoid, 3 mm. long; seeds 6-18. Waste 

 places: Newf. B.C. Calif. Fla.; nat. from Eu. Plain Mont. My-S. 



2. P. asiatica L. Perennial; leaves petioled; blades oval or ovate, sparingly 

 pubescent or glabrate, thin, 1-2 dm. long, 5-7-ribbed, dentate or subentire; 

 scape 1-2.5 dm. high; spike laxer than in the preceding; bracts ovate, scarious- 

 margined, round-keeled; sepals suborbicular, scarious, with green midrib, not 

 keeled; corolla-lobes spreading; pyxis ovate, 3-4 mm. long; seeds 14-20. P. 

 nitrophila A. Nels. Alkaline ground and waste places: Sask. Neb. Colo.- 

 B.C. Plain Submont. My-S. 



3. P. Tweedyi A. Gray. Perennial; leaves short-petioled ; blades narrowly 

 lanceolate or oblanceolate, glabrous, 3-5-ribbed, thin, 3-7 cm. long; scape 1-2 

 dm. high; spike 2-5 cm. long, dense; bracts and sepals broadly oval, with green 

 midrib, 2 mm. long; pyxis ovoid, acute, 4 mm. long, circumscissile near the base. 

 Grassy slopes: Mont. N.M. Utah. Submont. Subalp. Je-Au. 



4. P. eriopoda Torr. Perennial; leaves petioled; blades oblanceolate, lance- 

 oblong or elliptic, entire, 3-9-ribbed, pubescent, 0.5-2 dm. long; scape 1.5-4 dm. 

 high; spike 2-10 cm. long, dense above; sepals oblong-obovate, scarious-margined ; 

 pyxis ovoid-oblong, obtuse, circumscissile below the middle. P. retrorsa Greene. 

 Alkaline or saline soil: N.S. Que. Minn. N.M. Nev. Alta. Plain Sub- 

 mont. Je S. 



