PLANT AGINACEiE. 167 



or 4-cellecl: in the female 1-celled; placenta central, winged; ovules 

 definite; style single, simple, terminal. Fruit, in the perfect flowers, 

 opening transversely : in the female, indehiscent and bony. Albumen 

 dense, fleshy. 



GENUS I.—V L A N T A G O. Linn. 



Flowers perfect, arranged in spikes. Calyx 4-cleft. Corolla salver- 

 shaped; tube ovoid, the limb spreading or reflexed, 4-partite. Stamens 

 inserted in the tube of the corolla. Capsule bursting transversely, 

 2-celled or 3- or 4-celled by the presence of false dissepiments, pro- 

 duced by wings given off from the placenta, each cell containing one 

 or more seeds. 



Herbs with tlie leaves all radical, frequently ribbed : more rarely 

 herbs or undershrubs with stems bearing opposite linear leaves. 

 Flowers in suljglobular, oblong or cylmdrical imbricated spUces. Fila- 

 ments and style very long. 



The name of this genus of plants is derived from Flanta, tlie sole of the foot, 

 because its leaves lie flat on the ground Uke the sole. 



SPECIES I.-PLANTAGO MAJOR. Linn. 

 Plate MCLXII. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 2729. 



Leaves all radical, on rather long channeled petioles ; lamina broadly 

 oval or oval-ovate, 3- to 7-ribbed, repand or more or less dentate, 

 especially towards the base. Scape not furrowed, not much exceeding 

 the length of the leaves, the flowerless part of the scape shorter than 

 the leaves or scarcely equalling ihem. Bracts ovate, about as long as 

 the calyx, boat-shaped, glabrous. Sepals glabrous, bluntly keeled. 

 Corolla tube glabrous. Capsule imperfectly 2-celled; seeds 2 to 4 in 

 each cell. Plant sparingly hairy or subglabrous. 



Var. a, genuina. 



Belch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. Tab. MCXXVIH. Figs. 1 and 2. 

 P. major, aren. & Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. II. p. 720. Belch, fil. 1. c. p. 52. 



Leaves ascending. Scapes erect or ascending, straight. Spikes 

 usually lax at the base, tapering towards the apex. 



Var.' 3, intermedia. Decaisne. 



Belch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. PI. MCXXXVII. Fig. 1. 



P. intei-media, " CJllh." Gren. & Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. II. p. 720. Belch, fil. 1. c. p. 63. 



Leaves spreading. Scapes decumbent and curved at the base, then 

 erect. Spikes dense, cylindrical. 



