LXXXV. PLUMBAGINACEJE. 389 



fy Can. to Ga. Common in pastures and grass-lands. Easily known by its 

 longer leaves tapering at the base into a broad stalk, and with from 3 to 5 

 strong ribs; by its shorter spike (1 2' long), with dark colored calyxes and 

 whitish, projecting stamens, and its slender, upright stalk (8 15' long) with 

 prominent angles. Flowering from May to Oct. It is freely eaten by cattle. 



4. P. MEDIA. Hoary Plantain. 



Lvs. ovate, pubescent ; spike short, cyliadric ; scape round ; sds. solitary in 

 each cell of the pyxis. 1\. Grows in pastures and roadsides, N. Y. and Penn., 

 flowering all summer. It has broad, flat leaves 2' long, covered with a hoary 

 down, and with short footstalks. Spikes shorter than those of P. major, being 

 1 3' long and about half a foot high. Flowers white, with pink filaments and 

 yellow anthers. 



5. P. VIRGINICA. Virginian or Lesser- Plantain. 



Lvs. obovate-lanceolate, hoary-pubescent, subdenticulate ; scape angular ; 

 spike cylindric, pubescent, with flowers somewhat remote. A biennial species, 

 on sandy or stony hills in the southern parts of N. England and N. Y. to La., 

 much smaller than the preceding. The whole plant is covered with a soft, gray 

 pubescence. Scape 48' high, very hairy. Leaves 2 3' long, narrowed at 

 base into the petiole, obtuse at the end. Corolla yellowish, with very acute seg- 

 ments including the stamens. Jl. 



6. P. CUCULLATA. Lam. (P. maxima. Jacq.} Hood-leaved Plantain. 

 Lvs. ovate, slightly denticulate, 9-veined, cucullate at base, contracted into 



a long petiole ; scape terete ; spike cylindrical, short, dense-flowered ; sta. exserted. 

 In wet, rocky situations, Me., Pursh. Scape 1 3f high, with a spike 2 3' 

 in length. Leaves large, conspicuously rolled in or hooded at base. A doubt- 

 ful native of this country. 



7. P. GLABRA. Nutt. Smooth Plantain. 



Lvs. glabrous, ovate, denticulate ; scape slender, somewhat compressed, 

 nearly as long as the leaves ; fls. scattered ; bracts ovate, acuminate. In arid 

 places, Ohio, Frank. , Mo., Nuttall. 



8. P. GNAPHALIOIDES. Nutt. (P. lagopus. Ph. not of Linn.) 



Whole plant clothed with a long silky wool ; Ivs. linear-lanceolate, entire 1 , 

 very acute ; spike long, cylindric and dense-flowered : sta. included : caps. 2- 

 celled, 2-seeded. Ark. 



/?. Nutt. (P. aristata. Michx.} Bracts very long and spinulose. Prairies and 

 roadsides, 111., Mead. 



* * Leaves linear. 



9. P. MARITIMA. (P. pauciflora. PA.) 



Lvs. linear, channeled, nearly entire, woolly at base ; spike cylindrical, 



inside, and 6 10' lortg. Spike slender, of numerous, sub-imbricate, whitish 

 flowers. Aug. 



10. P. PUSILLA. Nutt. 



Minutely pubescent ; Ivs. linear-subulate, flat, entire, somewhat fleshy ; 

 scape terete, slender, longer than the leaves ; spike interrupted, subcylindrical, 

 loose-flowered below ; bracts ovate, acute, as long as the calyx. (I) A diminu- 

 tive species, low grounds, Penn. Leaves crowded, about 1' long the scape 2 3', 

 spicate its length. 



ORDER LXXXV. PLUMBAGINACE^E. LEADWORTS. 



Plants herbaceous or suffruticose, variable in appearance. 

 Lvs. undivided, alternate, or sometimes all radical and the flowers on a scape. 

 Cal. tubular, 5 toothed, plaited, persistent. 



Cor. regular, hypocrateriform, of 5 petals united at base or sometimes almost distinct 

 Sta. 5, hypoeynous and opposite the petals or inserted on their claws. 

 Ova. l-celled, free from the calyx. Styles 5 (seldom 3 or 4). 

 Fr. an utricle, or dehiscent by valves. Seed inverted. 

 Genera 8, species 160, mostly seaside or salt marsh plants, found in all latitudes. 



