376 Plantaginaceae 



1. PLANTAGO L. PLANTAIN. 

 Characters of the family. 



* Corolla closed over the mature capsule, forming a beak. 



1. P. hirtella H. B. K. Perennial from a thick root, hirsute, 

 especially the scape and leaves ; leaves oblong-oblanceolate to 

 narrowly oblong, 5 dm. long or less, tapering below to a short 

 petiole, sparsely dentate ; scape usually longer than the leaves, 

 stout, erect; spike 15-30 cm. long, dense, except at base; corolla 

 persistent, its lobes closed over the capsule; seeds 3. 



Occasional in low ground in the coast valleys. 



** Corolla remaining expanded over the mature capsule. 

 *- Perennials. 



2. P. lanceolata L. More or less villous with tufts of brown- 

 ish hairs at the base of the leaves; leaves erect or spreading, 

 oblong-lanceolate, tapering at base into a slender petiole, strongly 

 3-5-ribbed, 3 dm. long or less, entire; scapes exceeding the leaves, 

 channeled, slender; spike very dense, becoming cylindric, 10 cm. 

 long or less ; sepals ovate, with green midrib and scarious margins ; 

 pyxis oblong; ovary obtuse, 2-seeded, circumscissile at about the 

 middle. 



Common in low ground throughout our range. 



3. P. major L. Glabrous or sometimes sparsely pubescent; 

 leaves spreading, long-petioled, mostly ovate, narrowed or round- 

 ed at base, entire or coarsely dentate, 2 dm. long or less; scapes 

 exceeding the leaves, erect, 3 dm. long or less; spikes 2 dm. long 

 or less; pyxis ovoid, circumscissile at about the middle, 5-16- 

 seeded. 



Frequent in low ground. 



*- *- Annuals. 



4. P. erecta Morris. Annual, silky pubescent, 6-15 cm. high; 

 leaves erect, narrowly linear to narrowly oblanceolate, about two- 

 thirds the length of the scapes or nearly equaling the shorter ones ; 

 scapes 1 or few ; spikes few-many-flowered, capitate or oblong, 15 

 cm. long or usually less; calyx-lobes obtuse, scarious-margined 



