506 ORDER 79. PL ANT AGIN ACE JE. 



12. SAM'OLUS, L. WATER PIMPERNEL. (Celtic san, salutary, mos, 

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

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

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

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



S. valerandi L. /?. AMERICANUS (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 

 iirst 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 exserted. 

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



Genera 8, species 200, most abundant in temperate climates, scattered throughout all coun- 

 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 long, slen- 

 der filaments exserted, 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.) 

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



Stamens uniformly exserted. Corolla lobes spreading. Flowers reniform. (a) 



a Seeds 7 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 Nos. 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, reflexed. Leaves linear No. S 



b Seeds 2, rarely 3 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 ^-veined, with long, channeled footstalks : scape round ; 

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

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

 The seeds are eaten by sparrows and other small birds. Lvs. broad, flat, with 

 about 7 veins, each containing a strong fibre which may be 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. oblong or oblong-elliptical, obtuse, 3 to 5-veincd, atten- 

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

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

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



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

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

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

 native species, nearly as large as P. major. Spikes 6 to 8' long, on scapes twice 

 as high. Lvs. 3 to 6' long, more or less cordate at base. Cor. white, with obo- 

 vate segments. Pyxis a third longer than the calyx, with 2 margined seeds in 

 each cell. Jn., Jl. 



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

 spike ovate or cylindric, dense ; scape angular ; bracts and cor. hbes acuminate. 



