506 OSDEB 79. PLANTAGINACELE. 



12. SAH'OLUS, L. WATER PIMPERNEL. (Celtic sa?i, salutary, mos, 

 a pig ; a specific for the diseases of swine, says Pliny.) Calyx partly ad- 

 herent, 5-cleft ; cor. hypocraterifonn, 5-cleft ; sta. 5, alternating with 5 

 scales (sterile filaments) ; caps, dehiscent at top by 5 valves, many-seeded. 

 Herbs with alternate Ivs. Fls. corymbous or racemous. (Fig- 272.) 



B. valerandi L. /3. AMERIC ANUS (Gray). St. simple or branched; Ivs. obtuse, 

 ovate or obovate, the radical petiolate ; fls. in a raceme or panicle of racemes, pe- 

 .dicels with a minute bract near the middle; pet. longer than the sep. In wet, 

 gravelly places, frequent throughout the country. Sts. 6' to If high, simple when 

 lirst flowering, becoming often much branched. Lvs. thin, about 1' long. Fed. 

 less than 1', with small (near 2" diam.) milk white fls. A white spot in the axils 

 of the branches. Jl. Sept. (North), Apr. Jl. (South). (S. floribunda of authors.) 



ORDER LXXIX. PLANTAGINACE^E. RIBWORTS. 



Herbs rarely shrubby, with radical leaves and the flowers in a spike on a scape. 

 Flowers regular, tetramerous. Stamens 4, alternate with the lobes of the corolla 

 and inserted, on its tube. Anthers versatile, filaments usually slender and cxserted. 

 fruit a membranous "pyxis, with 1, 2, or many albuminous seeds. 



Genera 8, upeciex 200, most abundant in temperate climates, scattered throughout all conn- 

 tries of the globe. Properties unimportant. 



PLANTA V GO, L. PLANTAIN. RIBWORT. Sepals 4, membranous, 

 persistent ; corolla monopetalous ; border 4-toothed, spreading, per- 

 sistent and withering on the fruit ; stamens 4 (rarely 2), the lorig, slen- 

 der filaments exsertcd, or in some of the fls. included ; ovary 2 (-4)- 

 celled ; pyxis membranous, opening below the middle by a lid, when 

 the loose dissepiment falls out with the seeds. (Herbs acaulescent.) 

 Ms. small, whitish, in a slender spike raised on a scape. 



Stamens uniformly cxserted. Corolla lobes spreading. Flowers renifcirm. (a) 



a Seeds 1 to 16. Leaves broadly ovate, 7-veined. "Spike dense No. 1 



a Seeds 4 only. Leaves oblong or cordate, 3 to 7-veined Nos. 2, 3 



a Seeds 2 only. Leaves lanceolate. Scape tall N os. 4. 5 



a Seeds 2 or 4. Leaves linear, fleshy Nos. 6, 7 



$ Stamens mostly included, with short anthers. Flowers dimorphous? (b) 



b Seeds 2 only. Corolla lobes roundish, reflated. Leaves linear No. S 



b Seeds 2, rarely 8 or 4. Corolla lobes erect. Leaves lanceolate No. 9 



b Seeds 4 to 20. Leaves linear. Plants very small Nos. 10, 11 



1 P. major L. COMMON" PLANTAIN" or RIBWORT. Lvs. ovate, smoothish, some- 

 what toothed, palmately 1 -veined, viUh long, channeled footstalks; scape round; 

 fls. densely spiked; seeds 7 to 16. It Common always at the door and by tho 

 wayside. The leaves are reputed a good external application for wounds, &c. 

 Tho seeds arc eaten by pparrows and other small birds. Lvs. broad, flat, with 

 about 7 veins, each containing a strong fibre which may bo pulled out. Scape 1 

 to 3f high, with a very long (5 to 20'), cylindric spike. Fls. white, inconspicuous, 

 appearing in succession all summer. Eur., &c. 



2 P. Rugelii Dene. Lvs. oblony or oblong-elliptical, obtuse, 3 to 5-veined, atten- 

 uated to a petiole ; ped. slender, terete ; spike cylindrical, more or less loose-flow- 

 ered ; bracts acutish, shorter than tho smooth sepals. Ala. (Decaisne in Prod. 

 DC. XIII, p. 700). Allied to P. major, perhaps too nearly. 



3 P. cordata Lam. Lvs. cordate-ovate, broad, smooth, subpinnately 5 to 7-veined, 

 obscurely toothed ; fls. loosely spicate, lower ones scattered, with ovate, obtuse, 

 bracts; pyxis 4-seeded. 11 Can. to Tenn. and Gn., along streams. Our largest 

 native species, nearly as large as I', major. Spikes G to 8' long, on scapes twice 

 as high. Lvs. 3 to G' long, more or less cordate at base. Cor. white, with obo- 

 vate segments. Pyxis a third longer than tho calyx, with 2 margined seeds hi 

 each cell. Jn., Jl." 



4 P. lanceolata L. Lvs. lanceolate, tapering at each end, petiole channeled; 

 spike ovate or cylindric, dense; tcapt angular; tracts and cor. Ijbes acuminate. 



