DICOTYLEDONS. 219 



117. PLANT AGIN ACEJE. PLANTAIN FAMILY. 



Acaulescent herbs from fibrous roots ; leaves basal, promi- 

 nently veined ; scape erect, bearing a terminal spike or head 

 of small, perfect, polygamous or dioecious flowers ; calyx of 4 

 scarious-margined, persistent sepals ; corolla rotate or salver- 

 form, the tube short, the limb 4-parted, scarious ; stamens 2 or 

 4, included or exserted, inserted in the tube of the corolla and 

 alternate with its lobes, filaments slender, anthers versatile; 

 ovary free, 2- or 4-celled, style slender; fruit a 2-celled, 

 few- or many-seeded capsule, dehiscence circumscissile. 



PLANTAGO. 



Characters of the family. 



1. P. MAJOR L. Plantain. Perennial, from a very short voot- 

 stock; leaves ovate to oval, strongly 5-9-ril)hed, acute or obtuse at 

 the apex, rounded at the base into a long, concave petiole, entire or 

 toothed, smooth or slightly pubescent; scape taller than the leaves, 

 pubescent, spike densely flowered; bracts short, ovate; flowers per- 

 fect ; stamens 4, exserted ; capsule ov^oid, about twice the length of 

 the calyx. April-August. Conuuon in dooryards. 



'2. P. LANCEOLATA L. RiB(jRAss. 15iennial or perennial: vil- 

 lous or nearly smooth; leaves numerous, lanceolate to elliptical, 

 acute, long-petioled, strongly :5-5-ril)bed, entire or toothed; scapes 

 nuich longer than the leaves, striate-angled, 1-2 ft. high, spike short 

 and dense; hracts and se]>als ovate; corolla glabrous; capsule longer 

 than the calyx, 'i-.seeded. March-Octohcr. Introduced; coniinon in 

 meadows. 



3. P. AUisTATA Michx. Lar(;k-uka(TKI) Plantain. Annual; 

 leaves broatUy linear, entire or s])aringly denticulate, narrowed below 

 into a margined ])('tiol(', sniootii or silky-puhescent ; scape longer 

 than the leaves, (5-10 in. high, s]iike dense; bracts linear, ^-1 in. 

 long; stamens 4; capsule "i-seeded. louder than the calyx, .\pril- 

 Scpteniber. Couiiuon on dry soil. 



4. P. nr.TKK(H'iivLLA Xutt. >rvNV-si:Ki>i:i> Plantain. Annual: 

 leaves linear, fleshy, entire or with a few spreading teeth, smooth or 

 slightly jtuhescent; scapes slender, i>-() iiL liigh, sjtike v«'ry slender, 

 Miany-tlowered, the lowt'r flowers often .seattcred; l)racts ovate, longer 

 Ihan the .sepals; staiiHMis "J; cajtsule twice the length of the calyx, 

 nuuiv-.seedc'd. .March-Mav. Conuuon in cultivated iiround. 



