388 LXXXIV. PLANTAGINACE^. Plantago. 



10. SAMOLUS. 



Celtic san, salutary, mos, a pig ; a specific for tlie diseases of swine, saj's Pliny. 



Calyx partly adherent, 5-cleft ; cor. liypocrateriform, 5-cleft ; sta. 

 5, alternating with 5 scales (sterile filaments) ; caps, dehiscent at top 

 by 5 valves, many-seeded. — Herbs with alternate leaves. Fls. corym- 

 bose or racemose. 



1. S. Valerandi. Water Pimpernel. 



St. subsimple ; Ivs. ovate, obtuse, radical ones on long petioles, upper ses- 

 sile ; Jh. racemed ; pedicels with a minute, obtuse bract near the middle ; pet. 

 twice longer than the sepals. — n\. In wet, gravely places, throughout the world, 

 i'requent but not abundant. Stem If high, round, with alternate, entire, broadly 

 lanceolate leaves an inch in length, and tapering to short petioles. Racemes 

 leiminal, long. Flowers small, while, their pedicels having a small bract near 

 the middle. Corolla twice the length of the calyx, the tube broad, the limb 

 bearing the barren filaments between its deep-cleft, obtuse lobes, and the true 

 stamens opposite the latter and alternate with the former. July — Sept. 



2. S. FLORiBUNDUs. Kuuth. Many-fiowered Samolus. 



St. branched above ; Ivs. obtuse, entire, radical obovate-spatulate, petio- 

 late, round-obtuse, cauline oblong, obtuse, lower petiolate, upper subsessile ; Jls. 

 paniculate-corymbose; pedicels filiform, with a minute, acute bract near the 

 middle ; pet. scarcely longer than the sepals. — R. I. Olneij! to La., Ohio, Clark I 

 and la. ! Stem 10 — 15' high. Lower leaves 14" by 6", upper 8" by 5". Flow- 

 ers numerous, white, twice smaller than in the last. Pedicels 6 — 8'' in length. 

 Jul}' — Sept. 



Order LXXXIV. PLANTAGINACEJE.— Eibworts. 



Plants herbaceous, usually acaulesceut. Lvs. mostly rosulate. Fls. in spikes. 

 Cal. 4-cIeft, persistent. 



Cor. membranaceous, the limb 4-parted, persistent. 



Sla. 4, inserted into the tube of the corolla, alternate with its segments. Anth. versatile. 

 Ova. 2-celled, sessile. Style single. 

 Ft.— Pyxis membranaceous, cells 1 — 2 or several-seeded. 

 Genera 3, species 120, scattered throughout all countries of the globe. Properties unimportant. 



PLANTAGO. 

 "Calyx 4 (rarely 3)-parted ; corolla marescent, with a 4-cleft, re- 

 fleeted border ; stamens mostly exserted and very long ; capsule 

 ovoid, 2-celledf circumscissile. — Acaulescent herbs. Lvs. all radical. 

 Fls. spicate. 



* Leaves dilated. 



1. P. coRDATA. Lam. Heart-leaved Plantain. 



Jjvs. cordate-ovate, broad, smooth, somewhat toothed ; spikes very long, 

 flowers somewhat imbricate, lower ones scattered, with ovate, obtuse bracts. — 

 % Can. to Tenn. and N. J. Well marked by its broadly heart-shaped leaves 

 and its elongated spikes which are 6 — 8' long, and on scapes twice as high. 

 Leaves G' long, more or less cordate at base. Corolla white, with obovate seg- 

 ments. Pyxis a third longer than the calyx, with 2 seeds in each cell. Jn. Jl. 



2. P. MAJOR. Commo7i Plantain or Ribicart. 



Jjvs. ovate, smoothish, somewhat toothed, with rather long footstalks ; 

 scape round ; jis. imbricated ; sd%. numerous. — IX This species is a native of 

 Japan, Europe and America, is very common, always at the door and by the 

 wayside. The leaves are repi»ted a good external application for wounds, &c. 

 The seeds are eaten by sparrows and other small birds. The root consists of 

 long fibres. Leaves broad, flat, with about 7 veins, each containing a strong 

 fibre, which may be pulled out. Scape 1 — 3f hi'gh, with a very long (5 — 20'), 

 cylindric spike. Fls. white, incon.spicuous, appearing in succession all summer. 



3. P. LANCEOLATA. Lance-leo/ved Plantain. 



Lvs. lanceolate, tapering at each end ; spikes ovate, naked ; scape angular. 



