LXXXV. PLUMBAGINACEiE. 389 



% Can. to Ga. Common in pastures and grass-lands. Easily known by its 

 long:er leaves tapering,' at the base into a ])road stalk, and with lioin 3 to 5 

 strong ribs; by its shorter spike (1—2' long), with dark colored calvxes and 

 whitish, projecting stamens, and its slendrr, uin-igiit stalk (8 — 15' long) with 

 prominent angles. Flowering from May to Oct. It is Ireely eaten by cattle. 



4. P. MKDtA. Hiiarif Plaritain. 



Lis. ovate, pubescent ; spi/:c short, cylindric; scape round ; srh. solitaiy in 

 each cell of the pyxis. — Tj. Grows in pastures and roadsides, JN. Y. and Penn., 

 flowering all summer. It has broad, tiat leaves 2' long, covered with a hoary 

 clown, and with short footstalks. Spikes shorter than those of P. vu/jor, being 

 I — 3' long and about half a loot high. Flowers white, with pink filaments and 

 yellow aniliers. 



5. P. ViRGiNicA. Virginian or Lesser Plantain. 



Lrs. obovate-lanceolate, hoary-pubescent, subdenticulate ; scape angular ; 

 sjn/i-c cylindric, pubescent, with lluwers somewhat remote. — A biennial species, 

 on sandy or stony hills in the southern parts of N. England and N. Y. to La., 

 much smaller than the preceding. The whole plant is covered with a soft, gray 

 pubescence. Scape 4—8' high, very hairy. Leaves 2—3' long, narrowed at 

 base into the petiole, obtuse at the end. Corolla yellowish, with very acute seg- 

 ments including the stamens. Jl. 



G. P. CLX-ULLATA. Lam. (P. maxima. Jacq.) Hovd-lcavcd Plantain. 



I/i-.s'. ovate, slightly denticulate, 9- veined, cucullate at base, contracted into 

 a long petiole ; scape terete ; spike cylindrical, short, dense-flowered ; sta. exserted. 

 —In wet, rocky situations. Me., Pursh. Scape 1— 3f high, with a .spike 2—3' 

 in length. Leaves large, conspicuously rolled in or hooded at base. — A doubt- 

 ful native of this country. 



7. P. GLABRA. Nutt. Smooth Plantain. 



Lis. glabrous, ov^ate, denticulate; scape slender, somewhat compressed, 

 nearly as long as the leaves ; p. scattered ; bracts ovate, acuminate.— In arid 

 places, Ohio, Frank., Mo., Nuttall. 



8. P. GNAPHALiolDEs. Nutt. (P. lagopus. Ph. not of Linn.) 



Whole plant clothed with a long silky wool ; Ivs. linear-lanceolate, entire, 

 very acute ; spike long, cylindric and dense-flowered ; sta. included ; caps. 2- 

 celled, 2-seeded. — Ark. 



/?. Nutt. (P. aristata. Michx.) Bracts very long and spinulose.— Prairies and 

 roadsides, 111., Mead. 



* * Leaves linear. 



9. P. MARiTiMA. (P. pauciflora. Ph.) 



Lvs. linear, channeled, nearly entire, woollv at base ; spike cvlindrical, 

 close ; scape round. — Grows in salt marshes along the coast. Me. to N.'j. It has 

 a large, perennial root .sending up a scape varving in height from 3' to a foot, 

 and numerous, very fleshy, dark green, linear leaves deeplv grooved on the 

 inside, and G— 10' long. Spike slender, of numerous, sub-imbricate, whitish 

 flowers. Aug. 



10. P. PUSILLA. Nutt. 



Minutely pubescent ; lvs. linear-subulate, flat, entire, somewhat fleshy ; 

 scape terete, slender, longer than the leaves ; spike interrupted, subcvlindrical, 

 loose-flowered below ; bracts ovate, acute, as long as the calvx.— (I) A diminu- 

 tive species, low grounds, Penn. Leaves crowded, about 1' long the scape 2—3', 

 spicate f its length. 



Order LXXXV. PLUMBAGINACE^.— Leadworts. 



Plants herliaceoiis or siiffruticose, varial)Ie in appejirance. 

 Lvs undiyuied, alternate, or sometimes all radical and the flowers on a scape. 

 Cal. tubular, 5-foothed, r>laited, persistent. 



Cor. reffular, hypOfTateriCirm, of 5 petjils united at biise or sometimes almost distinct 

 bla. 5, hypoffyiious and opposite the petals or inserted on their claws. 

 Ova. 1-celJed, tree from the calyx. Sty/e-s 5 (seldom 3 or 4). 

 Fr. an utricle, or dehiscent by valves. Seed inverted. 

 Genera 8, species 160, mostly seaside or salt marsh plants, found in all latitudes. 



