PLANTAGINACEAE 177 



1. P. Leptostachya L. Lopseed. Perennial, puberulent, l°-3'' 

 high : leaves ovate, petioled, toothed : flowers purplish, Z" long. — Com- 

 mon in woods throughout. June-July. 



Family 117. PLANTAGINACEAE Lindl. 



Ours are acaulescent herbs with clustered basal leaves and regular, 4- 

 merous flowers in spikes. Corolla scarious or membranous, the four 

 stamens inserted on its tube and alternate with its lobes, or only two. 

 Ovary superior, 2-celled, or falsely 3-4-celled, 2-several-ovuled. Capsule 

 circumscissile. 



1. PLANT AGO L. Pl.\ntain. 



Characters of the family as given above. 



Leaves lanceolate or wider. 



Plants nearly glabrous throughout. 



Petioles green at the base. 1. P. major. 



Petioles purple at the base. 2. P. Rugelii. 



Plants more or less hairy. 



Corolla lobes spreading in fruit. 3. P. Innceolata, 



Corolla lobes closed over the fruit. 6. P. Virginica. 



Leaves linear or linear-filiform. 



Bracts much exceeding the flowers. 4. P. aristata. 



Bracts not exceeding the flowers. 



Plants white-woolly pubescent. 5. P. Purshii. 



Plants nearly glabrous. 7. P. elongata. 



1. P. major L. Perennial : leaves loug-petioled, ovate, entire, 

 ribbed : spikes blunt : flowers perfect : sepals slightly keeled : capsule 

 ovoid, circumscissile near the middle, 5-18-seeded. — Uncommonly intro- 

 duced in Independence. May-September. 



2. P. Rugelii Dec. Resembles the last : spikes tapering ; sepals 

 strongly keeled : capsule oblong cylindric, circumscissile much below 

 the middle, 4-10-seeded. — Very common in waste places. June-Oc- 

 tober. 



3. P. lanceolata L. Leaves lanceolate-oblong, nearly entire : scapes 

 l°-3° tall : spikes dense, ovoid to cylindric : flowers perfect : capsule 2- 

 seeded. — Occasional in waste places and fields, especially between Kansas 

 City and Dodson. May-September. 



4. P. aristata Michx. More or less villous annual : leaves linear- 

 filiform, entire, 3-ribbed : scapes 3^-15^ high : flowers perfect, often 

 cleistogamous : capsule 2-seeded. — Locally very abundant in sandy 

 fields. May-July. 



5. P. Purshii R. & S. Resembles the preceeding species, but is 

 woolly and the bracts do not exceed the flowers. — Has been found near 

 Sheffield and Wayne City in sandy soil. Abundant in Clay County near 

 Randolph, as also near Argentine, Kansas. April- June. 



6. P. Virginica L. Annual or biennial, 1^-20^ high : leaves spatulate- 

 lanceolate to oblong-ovate, entire or sparingly toothed : spikes linear- 



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