257 



PLANTAGO CORONOPUS vak. CERATOPHYLLON. 



(Plate 371.) 



[Mr. E. Gr, Baker publishes iu the Proceedings of the Dorset 

 Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club (vol. xvii.) an account 

 of this variety, which ho found near Charmouth, Dorset, in 1895. 

 The plant presented certain marked features which induced him to 

 compare it with foreign forms, and, with the assistance of Prof. 

 Henriques, who has seen authentic material, he has identified it 

 with L\ ccratophijlla Hoffm. & Link — a plant which both botanists 

 agree cannot be maintained as specifically distinct from P. Coro- 

 nopiis. By the courtesy of Mr. Mansel-Pleydell, we are enabled to 

 reproduce the plate with which Mr. Baker's paper is accompanied 

 in the Dorset Pwceedlmjs. The characters of the two plants are 

 thus contrasted by Mr. Baker; and to these are appended the 

 principal points of interest in his paper. — Ed. Journ. Bot.] 



P. Coronopus L. P. ceratophijUa HofEm. & Link. 



Root generally slender, annual Root long, thick, probably per- 

 or biennial. cnnial. 



Leaves generally spreading flat on Leaves suberect, liairy, oblanceo- 

 the ground, more rarely suberect, late in outUne, generally o-nerved, 

 strap-shaped or linear, 1-ncrved, occasionally S-nerved, rachis 

 usually furnished with narrow broader than in P. Coronojjiis, 

 acuminate ascending lobes, rachis apex acute or subacuminate, seg- 

 generally not so long as P. ccrato- ments lanceolate, remote, occasion- 

 phylla. ally toothed, acute or subacuminate, 



rachis 6 in. long, sometimes longer. 



Scape usually exceeding the Scape longer than the leaves 



leaves. towards the apex, rather more 



hairy than in P. Coronopus. 

 Heads of flowers :^1 in. or more Heads of flowers 1, 3, or 4 in. or 

 long. more long. 



Bracts acuminate, longer than Bracts acuminate, longer than 

 the sepals. the sepals. 



Capsule 3-4-locular, 3-1-seeded. Capsule trilocular (in the original 



description), described as 2-sceded, 

 but, judging from herbarium speci- 

 mens examined, evidently some- 

 times more seeded. 



The Dorsetshire plant will have to be referred to a var. cerato- 

 phyllon — PiiANTAGo Coronopus var. ceratophyllon Rapin, Esquisse 

 de riiistoire Naturelle dcs Plantaginces, in Mem. Sac. Linn. Paris, 

 vi. 482 (1827). 



P. coronopifolia Brotero, PL Tjusit. i. 157. 



P. ccratnphiiUa Hoffm. & Link, Fl. Port. i. 491, t. 74. 



Root thicker than in the type, probably perennial. Leaves in. 

 long, sometimes longer, suberect, hairy, oblanceolato in outline, 

 generally 8-ncrved, occasionally 5-nerved, apex acute or subacu- 

 minate, segments lanceolate, remote, occasionally toothed, acute, or 

 subacuminate. 



Journal of Botany. — Vol. 35. [July, 1897.] S 



