PROLIFICATION OF THE INFLORESCENCE. 11] 
mentioned by Dr. Johnston,’ wherein were several 
spikes, some sessile, others stalked and pendent, the 
whole intermixed with leaves and disposed in a rose- 
like manner. I have myself gathered specimens of 
this nature, occurring in the same plant, at Shanklin, 
Isle of Wight (fig. 56). 



Fic. 56.—Inflorescence of Plantago lanceolata, bearing a tuft of leaves 
and flowers at the end of the flower-scape. 
It is rather singular that each species of Plantago 
seems to have its own perverse mode of growth; for 
instance, the bracteate, polystachyate and paniculate 
forms are almost exclusively confined to P. major, the 
roseate form to P. media, the proliferous form to 
P. lanceolata. 
The instances wherein flower-buds originate from the 
surface of an inferior ovary, as in those cases where the 
top of the stem is dilated so as to form part of the 
fruit, would be properly classed under the head of pro- 
' * Flora of Berwick-on-Tweed,’ vol. i. p. 38. 
