Plantagine. | FLORA OF NEW ZEALAND. 207 
NAT. Og». LX VI. PRIMULACEA, Juss. 
Gen. I. SAMOLUS, Z. 
Calyz semi-superus, 5-fidus. Corolla subcampanulata, 5-fida. Stamina 5 fertilia lobis corolle 
opposita; 5 sterilia alterna. Capsula semi-infera, semi-5-valvis, 1-locularis. Semina plurima, placente 
centrali liberee affixa. 
The only New Zealand species is a very variable, small, white-flowered, herbaceous, littoral plant, which abounds 
on all the New Holland and Tasmanian coasts, and in South Chili. Stems branching, leafy, terete, prostrate, 6-10 
inches long. Leaves fleshy, linear-spathulate or lanceolate, very variable in length and breadth, sharp or blunt, 2 
lines to 1$ inch long. Flowers solitary, white, axillary, on one-bracteate pedicels longer or shorter than the leaves. 
Calyx half-superior, five-lobed ; lobes sharp. Corolla shortly bell-shaped, with five rounded lobes. Stamens ten, 
five fertile opposite the lobes of the corolla. Capsule one-celled, with five short valves, and many seeds attached to 
a free central placenta.—Of the other species of this genus one is found almost all over the world, and a few others 
are Australian and South American. (Name, Druidical, according to Pliny, for some marsh healing plant.) 
1. Samolus /ittoralis, Br.; caule tereti ramoso folioso, foliis spathulatis lanceolatisve, calycis laciniis 
acutis. Br. Prodr. ete. Sheffieldia repens, Linn. Suppl. 
Has. Abundant throughout the Islands, on all the coasts, Banks and Solander, etc. 
Nar. Ord. LXVII. PLANTAGINEA, Juss. 
Gen. I. PLANTAGO, Z. 
Flores hermaphroditi. Capsula 2—4-locularis. 
Herbaceous plants, with radical leaves, and scapes bearing few flowers, or long or short spikes of often densely 
packed hermaphrodite flowers. Sepals four. Corolla of a scarious texture, persistent, with a four-lobed spreading 
limb. Stamens four, on long exserted filaments. Ovary sessile, two- to four-locular. Ovules few or many, peltate. 
Style one, exserted, filiform, hairy. Capsule bursting horizontally across the middle. Seeds attached to either face 
of a longitudinal dissepiment, sessile, peltate. —A very large genus, found in all parts of the globe, to which the 
English herbs called Plantain belong, some of which have been introduced with seed into New Zealand. (Name 
so applied by the Romans.) 
$ a. Scape one-, or few- (two- to siz-) flowered. 
1. Plantago uniflora, Hook. fil. ; pusilla, foliis petiolatis lineari-lanceolatis sinuato-dentatis integerri- 
misve basi lanatis, scapo gracili pubescente 1-floro, bractea parva late ovata obtusa, sepalis linearibus 
obtusis. 
Has. Northern Island. Top of the Ruahine mountains, Colenso. 
Stem very short, stout. Leaves few, 3-1 inch long, petiolate, linear-lanceolate, sinuate-toothed or entire, 
villous at the base. Scape longer than the leaves, puberulous, one-flowered. Flower small Bract very short, 
blunt. Sepals narrow, linear.—I have but three imperfect specimens of this curious little plant, which is very nearly 
allied to the P. carnosa, but the sepals are narrower. 
2. Plantago carnosa, Br.; glaberrima v. pilosa, radice crassa, foliis plurimis stellatim patentibus 
lanceolatis integerrimis inciso-lobatis dentatisve carnosis basi nudis v, villosis, scapis brevibus erectis 
prostratisve crassis pilosis 2—4-floris, floribus capitatis, sepalis late ovatis obtusis corollee tubo eequilongis, 
capsule loculis 2-4-spermis. Br. Prodr. Fl. Antarct. p. 65. t. 43. Dene. in DC. Prodr. 
