PLANTAIN FAMILY 805 



the tube of the corolla; anthers 2-ceIIed, versatile, opening lengthwise. 

 Fruit a circumscissile capsule; seeds one to several in each cell, anipliitro- 

 pous; endosperm fleshy. 



1. PLANTAgO (Tourn.) L. Plantaij^, Ribgrass. 



Annual or perennial herbs, in ours acaulescent and with basal leaves only. 

 Blades often broad, prominently ribbed. Flowers spicate, in an elongate spike, 

 sometimes conspicuously bracted. Calyx-lobes equal, or 2 longer. Corolla 

 mostly salver-shaped, constricted at the throat. Capsule more or less membran- 

 ous. Seeds with flattened or concave faces. 



Flowers all perfect; corolla not closed over the fruit; stamens 4. 



Leaves lanceolate to ovate; neither leaves nor si)ike silky pubescent or lanate; sta- 

 mens in all the flowers long-exserted. 

 Spike cylindrical; seeds not concave on the faces. 



Leaves ovate, abruptly contracted at the base; seeds more than 2 in each 



cell. 



Pyxis dehiscent at the middle, round-ovoid, obtusish; leaves usually thick 



and the dense spike obtuse. 1. P. major. 



Pyxis dehiscent far below the middle, elongate-ovoid, very acute; leaves 



thin and the lax spike acute. 2. P. asiatica. 



Leaves lanceolate, gradually tapering into the petioles; seeds not more than 2 



in each cell. 

 Leaves thin; plant not woolly at the base. 3. P. Tweedyi, 



Leaves thick. 



Plant sparingly pubescent^ with red or brown wool at the base. 



4. P. eriopoda. 

 Plant copiously villous with jointed hairs, not woolly at the base. 



5. P. septata. 

 Spike short, oblong, 1-3 cm. long; seeds concave on the faces; leaves narrowly 



lanceolate. 6. P. lanceolata. 



Leaves linear; leaves or peduncles or both more or less pubescent with long silky 



hairs; anther in the more fertile flowers included; seeds solitary in each cell, 

 concave on the faces. 

 Bracts aiistate or herbaceous, at least the lower ones 2-many times as long as 



the flowers. 

 Bracts all much exceeding the flowers. 



Plant dark green; spike compact. 7. P. aristata. 



Plant light green; spike more slender. 8. P. spinulosa. 



Upper bracts' scarcely exceeding the flowers. 9. P. xerodea. 



Bracts neither aristate nor foliaceous. slightly' if at all exceeding the flowers. 

 Bracts linear-subulate; spike long-cylindric. 10. P. Purshn. 



Bracts ovate, obtuse; spike globose to oblong. 11. P. scariosa. 



Flowers subdioecious or polygam.o-dioecious ; corolla in the fertile plant remaining closed 

 orearly closing over the capsule; stamens 2; leaves fihform. 12. P. elongata. 



1. P. major L. Perennial; leaves petioled; blades oval or ovate, sparingly- 

 pubescent or glabrous, 5-35 cm. long, 5-7-ribbed, entire or coarsely toothed; 

 scape 8-15 cm. long; spike dense, 4-20 cm. long; sepals ovate, acute, not keeled; 

 corolla-lobes spreading or reflexed; pyxis ovoid, 3 mm. long; seeds &-18. Waste 

 places: Newf.— B.C. — Calif. — Fla.; nat. from Eu. Plain—Mont, My-S. 



2. P. asiatica L. Perennial; leaves petioled; blades oval or ovate, sparingly 

 pubescent or glabrate, thin, 1-2 dm. long, 5-7-ribbed, dentate or subentire; 

 scape 1-2.5 dm. high; spike laxer than in the preceding; bracts ovate, scarious- 

 margined, round-keeled; sepals suborbicular, scarious, -R-ith green midrib, not 

 keeled; corolla-lobes spreading; pyais ovate, 3^ mm. long; seeds 14-20. P. 

 nitropMla A. Nels. Alkaline ground and waste places: Sask.— Neb.— Colo.— 

 B.C. Plain— SubmonL My-S. 



3. P, Tweedyi A. Gray. Perennial; leaves short-petioled; blades narrowly 

 lanceolate or oblanceolate, glabrous, 3-5-ribbed, thin, 3-7 cm. long; scape 1-2 

 dm. high; spike 2-5 cm. long, dense; bracts and sepals broadly oval, ^ith green 

 midrib, 2 mm. long; pj-xis ovoid, acute, 4 mm. long, circumscissile near the base. 

 Grassy slopes: Mont.— N.M.— IJrtah. Submont.—Subalp, Je-Au. 



4." P. eriopoda Torr. Perennial; leaves petioled; blades oblanceolate, lance- 

 oblong or elliptic, entire, 3-9-ribbed, pubescent, 0.5^2 dm. long; spape 1.5-4 dm. 

 high- spike 2-10 cm. long, dense above; sepals oblong-obovate, scanous-margmed; 

 pyxis ovoid-oblong, obtuse, circumscissile below the middle- P. retrorsa Greene. 

 Alkaline or saline soil: N.S.— Que.— Minn.— N.M.—Xev.—Alta, Plain— Sub- 



niant, Je-S 



