ri.ANTAniN'AfE^K. 1G7 



or Ircllt'il: in tlic rnuiilc l-ccllnl; |)l;iccnt!V ccntrul, winp;c<l; ovules 

 doliiiito; style single, siiMj)K', trriiiiniil. Fruit, in the port'cct flowers, 

 oi)oniii;f transversely: in the lenmle, indehiscent and bony. Albumen 

 dense, fleshy. 



GENUS /.— P L A N T A G O. TJnn. 



Flowers perfect, arran<,'cd in spikes. l"a]}x 4-elef't. Corolla salver- 

 sliaped; tube ovoid, the linil) spreadinj:^ or reflexed, 4-partite. Stamens 

 inserted in the tube of the eorolla. Capsule bursting transversely, 

 2-cclled or 3- or 4-celled by the presence of false dissepiments, pro- 

 duced by wings given off lioni the placenta, each cell containing one 

 or more seeds. 



Herbs with the leaves all radical, frecpiently riblicd: more rarely 

 herbs or luidershrubs Avith stems bearing opposite linear leaves. 

 Flowers in subglobular, oblong or cylindrical imbricated spikes. Fila- 

 ments and style very long. 



Tho name of this gcnns of plants is derived from Plania, the sole of the foot, 

 bcanse its leaves lie flat on the ground like the sole. 



SPECIES I.-PLANTAGO MAJOR. Lhm. 

 Plate MC'L.XII. 

 lilllot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 2720. 



Leaves all radical, on rather long channeled petioles; lamina broadly 

 oval or oval-ovate, 3- to 7 -ribbed, repand or more or less dentate, 

 especially towards the base. Scape not furrowed, not much exceeding 

 the length of the leaves, the flowerless part of the scape shorter than 

 the leaves or scarcely equalling them. Bracts ovate, about as long as 

 the calyx, boat-shaped, glabrous. Sepals glabrous, bluntly kei'led. 

 Corolla tube glabrous. Capsule imperiectly 2-celled; seeds 2 to 4 in 

 each cell. Plant sparingly hair}' or subglabrous. 



Var. a, gemiina. 



Bvkh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Ilelv. Vol. XVII. Tab. MCXXVIH. Figs. 1 and 2. 

 P. major, Gren. &, Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. II. p. 720. Beieh.fil. 1. c. p. 52. 



Leaves ascending. Scapes erect or ascending, straight. Spikes 

 usually lax at the base, tapering towards the ape.x. 



Var. 0, intermedia. Decaisne. 



n,-!eh. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. PI. MCXXX\^n. Fig. 1. 



P. intermedia, " Gilb." Gren. & Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. II. p. 720. Reich. fil\. c. p. 53. 



Leaves spreading. Scapes decumbent and curved at the ba.se, then 

 erect. Spikes dense, cylindrical. 



