PLANTAIN FAMILY. 357 



lanceolate or lance-oblong 3-5-ribbed leaves, a grooved-angled scape, 

 thick and close spike, two of the sepals mostly united into one, and 2- 

 seeded pod. 



-< +H- Corolla pubescent outside; leaves indistinctly ribbed and fleshy. 



P. decfpiens, Barn. Leaves 5'-12' long, about equaling the slender 

 and rather loose spike. Generally (T), sometimes @, in salt marshes from 

 N. J., N. 



P. maritima. Linn., occurring on the coast, from Mass., N., is Ij. and 

 has a denser spike. 



t- *- Flowers of two sorts as respects lengths of filaments and anthers ; 

 some plants with cleistogamous flowers with stamens and style barely or 

 not at all protruded ; other and less fertile plants have long-exserted 

 stamens. 



P. Patag6nica, Jacq. Leaves narrow-linear to oblanceolate, silky, 

 sparingly-toothed or entire, 1-3-nerved ; scape 3'-12' long, with a dense 

 cylindrical spike; seeds 2, oblong, oval or boat-shaped. Dry places, 

 mostly W., very variable. 



* * Flowers nearly dioecious, the corolla in the most fertile plant closing 

 over the pod and forming a kind of beak, the anthers not protruding ; 

 in the sterile plant the corolla is spreading and the anthers exserted ; 

 stamens 4 or 2. 



*- Stamens 4; leaves oblong or broader. 



P. Virgfnica, Linn. In sandy grounds, S., N. Eng., S. and W. ; hairy 

 or hoary, 2 '-9' high ; leaves varying from oblong to obovate, nearly 

 sessile, 3-5-nerved, generally sparingly toothed ; spike rather dense ; seeds 

 mostly 2. ^ ^ Stamens 2 . i eaves u near or filiform. 



P. pusflla, Nutt. Sandy soil, N. Y., S. and W. ; minutely pubescent, 

 the leaves entire and not fleshy ; spike slender ; pod short-ovoid and 4- 

 seeded, little exceeding the calyx and bract. 



P. heterophylla, Nutt. Leaves rather fleshy, sometimes toothed or 

 lobed below ; pod oblong-conical and 10-oo-seeded, about twice the length 

 of the calyx and bract. Low lands, Penn. , 8. 



