SEA PLANTAIN 199 



The plant is a salt-lover, and grows in saline soil which is largely 

 sand soil also. 



A fungus, Thecaphora hyalina, attacks the leaves. 



Calystegia is from two Greek words denoting calyx and cover, 

 reference being to the two large bracts of the calyx. Soldanella, 

 Dodonseus, is possibly derived from the Latin soldo, an Italian coin, 

 because of its rounded leaves. 



Sea Bells, Sea Bindweed, Sea Cawle, Sea Coale, Sea Cole, Sea 

 Colewort, Sea Foalfoot, Scottish Scurvy Grass, Sea Withwind, are 

 names it has been given. Sea Foalfoot is bestowed on it because 

 of the shape of the leaves, and Scottish Scurvy Grass because, as 

 Gerard says, "They use it instead of true scurvy grass (Cochlearia 

 officinalis) ". The plant is an acrid purgative. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



221. Calystegia Soldanella, Br. Stem prostrate, short, leaves fleshy, 

 reniform, flowers pink, with yellow bands, bracts shorter than the calyx, 

 on winged, square stalks. 



Sea Plantain (Plantago maritima, L.) 



Though an Arctic plant this maritime species, like some other mari- 

 time plants, is not represented in any ancient deposits. It is found 

 to-day in Arctic and Temperate Europe, N. Africa, N. and W. Asia, 

 as far east as the Himalayas, and in N. America. This plant is found 

 around the entire coast of Great Britain, except in Middlesex, as far 

 north as the Shetlands, and by mountain streams in Yorkshire and 

 Perth up to a height of 1800 ft. 



Sea Plantain is one of those species which are more or less confined 

 to maritime conditions, existing there as a halophyte, growing in salt 

 marshes close to the sea with Saltwort, Samphire, Sea Rush, Sea Club 

 Rush, Sand Sedge, Marram Grass, and other seaside grasses that 

 fringe the salt-pans and the coast. It also invades the inland streams 

 in the far north at high altitudes, just as Thrift and some other plants 

 do, growing in crannies and holes. 



This plant has the grass habit with only radical leaves, the aerial 

 stems being scapes only. The leaves are smooth, long, lance-shaped, 

 erect, 1 fleshy, toothed, with three veins, narrowed into leaf-stalks below, 

 and at the base downy, semi-cylindrical, not flat. The leaves vary in 

 size from an inch to a foot and in other particulars. 



The flowers are green, variable in number, borne on a rounded, 



1 In the broad-leaved types they are horizontal. 



