Vox,. III.] 



PLANTAIN FA MI! V 



207 



Rngel's 



2. Plantago Rugelii Dec. 



Plantain. (Fig. 3379.) 



Plantago Rugelii in DC. Prodr. 13: Part 1, 700. 1852. 

 Similar to the preceding species, the spikes less 

 dense, at least toward the base, usually long-at- 

 tenuate at the summit, sometimes 5" thick. Sepals 

 oblong, prominently keeled on the back, the mar- 

 gins green or scarious; pyxis oblong-cylindiic, 1"- 

 3" long, twice as long as the sepals, circumscissile 

 much below the middle and entirely within the 

 calyx, 4-10 seeded; corolla-lobes spreading or rc- 

 flexed on the summit of the pyxis; stamens 4. 



In fields, woods and waste places, Maine and Ontario 

 to Minnesota, south to Florida, Kansas and Texas. 

 Petioles commonly purple at the base. Usually bright- 

 er green and with thinner leaves than P. major. This 

 species, or the preceding one, was known to the In- 

 dians as "White Man's Foot." June-Sept. 



English Plantain. 



Plantago lanceolata L. Ribwort. Rib-grass. 

 Snake Plantain. (Fig. 3380.) 



Plantago lanceolata L. Sp. PI. 113. 1753- 



Perennial or biennial, more or less pubescent; 

 rootstock short, erect, with tufts of brown hairs 

 at the bases of the leaves. Leaves narrowly ob- 

 long-lanceolate, mostly erect, shorter than the 

 scapes, entire, acute or acuminate at the apex, 

 gradually narrowed into petioles, 3-5-ribbed, 2 / - 

 I2 / long, 3 // -i2 // wide; scapes slender, chan- 

 nelled, sometimes 2% tall; spikes very dense, at 

 first short and ovoid, becoming cylindric, blunt 

 and J&'-tf l n g in fruit . 4 // -6 // thick; flowers 

 perfect, proterogynous; sepals ovate, with a nar- 

 row green midrib and broad scarious margins, 

 the two lower ones commonly united; corolla 

 glabrous, its tube very short; filaments white; 

 pyxis oblong, very obtuse, 2-seeded, slightly 

 longer than the calyx, circumscissile at about 

 the middle; seeds deeply excavated on the face. 

 In fields and waste places, New Brunswick to the 

 Northwest Territory and British Columbia, south to 

 Florida and Kansas. Naturalized from Europe; 

 native also of Asia. Sepals rarely metamorphosed into small leaves April-Nov. 



Old names, 

 Blackjacks, Jack-straws; Dog's-rib, Cocks. Kemps, Le e ch wort, Ram' s-tongue, Rattail, Windles, 



Long Plantain, Ripple-grass, Kempseed, Headsman, Hen-plant, Clock, Chimney-sweeps. 



4. Plantago media L. Hoary Plantain. (Fig. 3381.) 



Plantago media L. Sp. PI. 113. 1753. 



Perennial, intermediate in aspect between P. 

 major and P. lanceolata, the short rootstock clothed 

 with brown hairs among the bases of the leaves. 

 Leaves spreading, ovate, broadly oblong or elliptic, 

 obtuse or acute at the apex, entire, or repand-den- 

 tate, densely and finely canescent, 5-7-ribbed, nar- 

 rowed at the base into margined, usually short 

 petioles; scapes slender, much longer than the 

 leaves, i-2 tall; spikes very dense, cylindric and 

 \ f -l f long in fruit, about 3" thick; flowers perfect, 

 white; sepals all distinct, oblong, with a narrow 

 green midrib and broad scarious margins; corolla 

 glabrous; stamens pink or purple; pyxis oblong, ob- 

 tuse, about as long as the calyx, 2-4-seeded, the 

 seeds merely concave on the face; stamens 4. 



In waste places, Maine, Rhode Island, Ontario and 

 New York. Adventive from Europe. Native also of 

 Asia. May-Sept. Old names, Fire-leaves, Fire-weed, 

 Lamb's Lettuce, Lamb's Tongue, Healing Herb. 



