646 



PART III. — THE CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS. 



Fig. 446.— Flower of Plantago : a axis of the 

 nflorescence (scape) ; d bract ; fe calyx ; c cor- 

 olla; «t stamens; n stigma (maj;.). In the dia- 

 gram, is the upper, and u the under lip. 



Plantago lanceolata (Ribwort), major, media, the Plantains, are weeds 

 universally distributed. F. Coronopus, the Buck's-horn Plantain, and P. viari- 

 tima, grow in dry places and on sandy sea-shores. The leaves form a rosette 

 just above the root, and the long scapes spring from their axils, bearing simple 

 spikes (Fig. 446 a, d). In P. Cynops, Psyllium, and others, the main stem is 

 elongated : the testa of the seed is mucilaginous. In Littorella lacustris the 



flowers are monoecious ; fruit 1- 

 seeded, indehiscent ; stamens hy- 

 pogynous : it grows on the bottom 

 in shallow waters. 



Order 3. Bignoniacej;. 

 Stamens generally four, di- 

 dynamous : ovary bilocular 

 or unilocular: seeds usually 

 winged, without endosperm. 

 Woody plants ; frequently 

 climbers, by means of twin- 

 ing stems, or leaf-tendrils, or 

 roots (Tecoma). 



Catalpa hignonioides is an ornamental tree from North America: Bignonia, 

 Tecoma, and Eccremocarpus, are well-known cultivated climbers. 



Order 4. Acanthace^. Stamens four, didynamous (diagram 

 as in Fig. 444 A): ovary bilocular: ovules few on projecting 

 placentae : seed without endosperm. Herbs. 



Acanthus mollis and other species from Southern Europe, are ornamental 

 plants : Thuobergia and Ruellia are commonly cultivated : Adhatoda, Justicia, 

 and others have only the two antero-lateral stamens (as in Fig. 444 C). 



Order 5. GtEsneracej:. Stamens usually four, didynamous, or 

 sometimes two only : ovary unilocular, with numerous parietal 

 ovules: seed with or without endosperm. Generally herbs with 

 opposite leaves. 



Columnea, Gloxinia, Achimenes, Sinningia, Streptocarpus, and others, are 

 ornamental plants from tropical America : Ramondia inhabits the mountains 

 of Southern Europe. 



Order 6. OROBANCHACEiE. Plants which are destitute of chlo- 

 rophyll, with scaly leaves, parasitic on the roots of other plants : 

 otherwise similar to the Gesneraceee. 



The commoner species of Broomrapes, occurring in Britain, are Orohanche 

 major and minor, parasitic on Leguminoste, elatior on the Greater Knap- 

 weed, If e<ierrt? on Ivy, ramosa on Hemp; mostly of a brownish or whitish 

 hue. Lathrcea Squamaria, the Greater Toothwort, is generally parasitic ou 



