PLANTAIN FAMILY. 357 



lanceolate or lance-oblong 3-5-ribbed leaves, a grooved-angled scape, 

 thick and close spike, two of the sepals mostly united into one, and 2- 

 seeded pod. 



■^ •<-*• Corolla pubescent outside; leaves indistinctly ribbed and fleshy. 



P. declpiens. Barn. Leaves 5'-12' long, about equaling the slender 

 and rather loose spike. Generally 0, sometimes (g), in salt marshes from 

 N. J., N. 



P. marltima, Linn., occurring on the coast, from Mass., N., is "21 and 



has a denser spike. 



-1- -t- Flowers of two sorts as respects lengths of filaments and anthers; 

 some plants loith cleistogamous flowers loith stamens and style barely or 

 not at all protruded ; other and less fertile plants have long-ezserted 

 stamens. 



P. Patag6nica, Jacq. Leaves narrovF-linear to oblanceolate, silky, 

 sparingly-toothed or entire, 1-3-nerved ; scape 3'-12' long, with a dense 

 cylindrical spike ; seeds 2, oblong, oval or boat-shaped. Dry places, 

 mo.stly W., very variable. ® 



* * Flowers nearly dioecious, the corolla in the most fertile plant closing 

 over the pod and forming a kind of beak, the anthers not protruding ; 

 in the sterile plant the corolla is spreading and the anthers exserted ; 

 stamens 4 or 2. ® (g) 



^- Stamens 4 ; leaves oblong or broader. 



P. Virgfnica, Linn. In sandy grounds, S., N. Eng., S. and W. ; hairy 

 or hoary, 2 '-9' high ; leaves varying from oblong to obovate, nearly 

 .sessile, 3-5-nerved, generally sparingly toothed ; spike rather dense ; seeds 



^ ■ ^- -(- Stamens 2; leaves linear or filiform. 



P. pusilla, Nutt. Sandy soil, N. Y., S. and W. ; minutely pubescent, 

 the leaves entire and not fleshy ; spike slender ; pod short-ovoid and 4- 

 seeded, little exceeding the calyx and bract. 



P. heterophylla, Nutt. Leaves rather fleshy, sometimes toothed or 

 lobed below ; pod oblong-conical and 10-oo-seeded, about twice the length 

 of the calyx and bract. Low lands, Fenn., S. 



