CHAP, a.] PLANTAGINE^. 419 



CHAPTER 11. 



PHANEROGAMOUS PLANTS DICOTYLEDONE^. 



II. MONACHLAMYDE^. 



In all the plants contained in this division, 

 the stamens and pistils have either no floral 

 covering, or only one ; and as, when this is the 

 case, the covering is called the calyx, the plants 

 in this division are said to have no corolla. 

 Some botanists think that the calyx and corolla 

 have become intermixed, so as to form only one 

 covering, v^^hich they call the perianth ; a word 

 applied to the calyx and corolla together. 



ORDER CLI.— PLANTAGINE^. 



The weed called Plantain, or Rib-grass, is 

 well known to all persons who keep birds, as it 

 is a food that cage-birds are very fond of. It 

 is conspicuous by its strongly-ribbed leaves, 

 which form a flat tuft on the ground, and by 

 the large arrow-shaped anthers of its four sta- 

 mens, which hang on very slender filaments. 

 The flowers are arranged in dense spikes, 

 and are green and inconspicuous. 



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