,,';.:^;^v)MBIA 



BOTANICAiiMl2^;|p^^E. 



-\ 



Vol. 3 



MAY, 1878. 



No. 5 



The Two Waysidk Plantains, By Asa Ghay. — I wish to call the altcnlion of Bot- 

 anists to flif! Connnou Plantains of the country, and to make a public, though tardy 

 expression of thanks to Mr. A. Commons, of Ccntreville, Delaware. I send you, hcie 

 with, for insertion, his letter to me, which the date shows to have been long unattended 

 to. I have in some way or other postponed its consideration until now, when the re- 

 view of Uic genus for the i)art of my Synoptical Flora of JS^orth America, now in press, 

 brouglit the subject directly before me: 



Centreville, Del., Dec. 20th, 1870. 



PitoF. A GUAY: Dear Sir: — 



I have a few specimens 1 wish to submit and request you 

 would examine and name for me. Two of them are deviations from the usual form; 

 iUioUwr, II rididar/ii, is probably a good species. However, the specimens will prove 

 whether it be entitled to that distinction. To me it seems sufficiently marked in its 

 characters to deserve being considered as such. I will send a package in a few days 

 made up most largely of the two fofms (as I will call them at present for convenience) 

 of Pldiddfjo; the Pkudano' nuijor, L., or smaller form, and another, a larger one, ivliich 

 resembles it in appearance but distinct in character. This larger form is the most 

 abundant and common one of the two growing here. The smaller one, P. miijor, L.. 

 being the rarer and less common one, and does not seem to pri)i)agale or extend itself 

 so rapidly. A brief comparison of the two is given in a ^ellarate paper which is en- 

 closed. In 1864, when I tirsl observed the two forms, I had got the impression that the 

 larger one was the P. major, L., Init have since ascertained this to be erroneous. Others 

 liere, I am constrained to believe, may have previously entertained the same view. I 

 infer this, however, because the larger form is here so generally common, while the 

 other is not. Therefore, they are most likely to be obtained l>y them in making their 

 collections, Init it does seem sirange tiiat these two forms should l)e here growing to- 

 gether and have remained so long unnoticed l)y any of our Bolanisls. 



The two Plantagos brielly compared: 



Pl(int(i(i<) — / 



Larger, acute form. 



) 



Larger, smooth or hairy, generallj' j| 

 smooth, light green, thinner in tex- - Leaves, 

 ture. ) 



fc 



Longei', tai)eriug to a i)oint. 



Longer and larger, more eicct and "| 

 upright on the s[)ikes, opening be- | 

 low the middle or % way frtjm |- 

 base and below the top of the ca- | 



ly-^. J 



Larger, black, more acutely angled, ( 

 not wrinkled. / 



yplke^ 



Pod 



Heecb 



Very common and abundant here. 



\ Phintdiji) inajiir, L., 



\ Smaller, obtuse form. 



I Smaller, smooth or hairy, generally 

 hairy, deeper green, >onicwlial 

 / thicker in texture. 



\ _ Shorter, termination blunt or 

 '( abrupt. 



f Smaller, more closely aggregated and 

 I standing out more s{|uarely on the 

 I spikes, o|)e:iing at the middle and 

 I opposite the top of the calyx. 



I 



\ Smaller, light brown, obtusely angled, 

 i wrinkled. 



■j Rarer and less common. 



Certainly a distinct species as the characters indicate. — A. Commons. 



