516 Morris: North American Plantaginaceae 



species, here considered, are those narrow-leaved annuals whose 

 flowers at the stage of anthesis are minute and quite inconspicuous ; 

 and whose treatment by American taxonomists has been quite 



variable. 



Plantago elongata Pursh was for many years lost sight of and 

 became almost forgotten. Its nearest relative, Plantago pusilla 

 Nuttall, was collected in larger quantities, more often from a wider 

 range, and with such profusion as to swamp the identity of the 

 other species even when recently collected. Pursh described the 

 species as follows : 



^'Plantago elongata, — P. foliis linearibus integerrimis glabris, scapo 

 spicis elongatis subimbricatis foliis longioribus, bracteis ovatis 

 acutis margine membranaceis. 



In Upper Louisiana, Bradbury, v. s. in Herb. Bradbury. Resem- 



paucifl^ 



Watson 



J 



tago Bigelovii, A. Gray. He noted it as '' resembling Plaritago 



pusilla, but with twice larger flowers and fruit, and the capsule (i" 

 or more in length) more protruded." 



In 1883, Engelmann observed a different form from Nuttall's 

 species in plants in his herbarium which had been collected by 



A 



Geyer on the Nicollet Northwestern Expedition and by Hayden 

 during the survey of Nebraska and the adjacent territories. This 

 form he described under the name Plantago pusilla, var. macro- 

 sperma. His point of emphasis was the measurement of the seeds, 

 and in his herbarium there is extant a sheet containing the follow- 



ing measurement notes ; 



& 



'^ I. St. Louis 



2. Indian Territory 



1.3 mm 



broad-leaved form 1.8 '' 



3. Nicollet, Shienne River 2.4 '* 



4. Hayden, Yellowstone 2.4 " " 



His diagnosis specifies the " larger form, 4 to 7 inches high, with 

 longer much exsert capsules; seeds nearly tw^ice the length of the 

 last, 2.4 mm. or 1.2 lines long. Saline soil of the Western Plains ; 

 on the Shienne [etc.]." Engelmann further states ** Dr. Gray 

 thinks that he has proofs that this species [P. piisilld\ , or probably 

 the second form of it \P. pusilla, var. macrosperma\, is the lost P. 



\ 



