CHENOPODIACE.E 



121 



and June. The leaves are short, broad, and 

 stalked, and rest flat on the ground, forming a 

 rosette. The flower-heads are rather thick, and 

 incline to reddish. The leaves are elliptical and 

 entire, or slightly serrated, and clothed with short 

 hairs on both surfaces. The flower-stalks are 

 curved at the base, but then rise straight upwards ; 

 they are slightly ridged, and downy. The bracts 

 are oval, with membranous edges, and the teeth of 

 the calyx are broad, oval, obtuse, membranous, 

 and whitish, with a green keel. The tube of the 

 calyx is bare. The capsule generally contains 

 4 seeds. 



A great number of caterpillars feed on Plantain ; 

 among others, the black spiny caterpillars of three 

 British species of Fritillary butterflies (Melitaa 

 Artemis, Cinxia and Athalid). They are all tawny, 

 with black lines and spots, but with no silver spots 

 beneath, and measure about an inch and a half 

 across the wings. The Greasy Fritillary (M. Artemis) 

 has a peculiar glazy lustre on the hindwings 

 beneath ; the Glanville Fritillary (M. Cinxia) has 

 large black spots towards the base of the hind- 



wings beneath ; and the Pearl-bordered Likeness 

 (M. Athalia) has neither of these special charac- 

 teristics. Owing to the increase of cultivation all 

 are becoming scarce and local in Britain at present, 

 though formerly common and widely distributed. 



Sub-class IV. Monochlamydese 



In the Orders belonging to this Sub-class there is 

 no proper calyx or corolla, but they are replaced 

 by a single circle of petals, called a perianth, which 

 is sometimes wanting. 



Order LXV. Chetiopodiacecs (7 genera) 



The perianth is green, most frequently with 

 5 lobes, but sometimes with only 3 or 4. The 

 stamens are inserted at the base of the perianth, 

 opposite to the petals, and are of equal number or 

 fewer. There are 2 or 3 styles or stigmas, and 

 sometimes only 1. There is a single ovary, with 

 1 ovule at the base. The fruit is generally 

 dry. 



