174 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



broad scarious ciliated wing. Corolla tube downy. Capsule imper- 

 fectly 3- or 4-celled. Seeds 1 in each cell, flat on the inner face. Plant 

 generally more or less pubescent ; scapes ahnost always pubescent. 



On sandy commons, roadsides, waste places, and chalky banks. 

 Rather common, and generally distributed in England. More rare 

 in Scotland, and confined to the neighbourhood of the sea coast. Com- 

 mon in Ireland, on the coast. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Biennial. Spring to Autumn. 



Very variable in size, and also in the lobing of the leaves, which are 

 from 1 to 12 inches long. Scapes 2 to 18 inches long, generally 

 decumbent at the base. Rootstock with one or more crowns ; in dry 

 situations Avith the leaves spreading flat on the ground, and the scapes 

 decumbent at the base : in damjier places the leaves are ascending or 

 erect. Spikes slender, ^ to 2 inches long, recum^ed-reclinate before 

 the flowers expand. Anthers pale yellow. 



The long point to the bracts, strongly winged sepals, and 3- or 4- 

 celled and seeded capsule, readily distinguish the entire leaved forms 

 from P. maritima, to which they bear some resemblance. The much 

 commoner pinnatifid-leaved forms cannot be confounded with any other 

 British species. 



Biiclc's-horn Plantain. 



French, Plantain come de cerf. German, krdhenfussartiger Wegerich. 



GENUS II.— L ITTORELLA. Lmn. 



Flowers unisexual, monoecious. Male flowers solitary at the summit 

 of the scape : calyx 4-partite : corolla cylindrical, with a 4-partite 

 limb: stamens hypogynous. Female flowers 2 or 3 together at the 

 base of the peduncle of the male flowers : calyx of 3 unequal sepals : 

 corolla urceolate : fruit bony, indehisceut, 1-seeded. 



An aquatic herb, creeping at the bottom of the water, producmg 

 semi-cylindrical smooth leaves ; male flowers with very long filaments. 



The name of this genus of plants is derived from the word Littits, the shore, from 

 tlie species dehghfcing in moist situations. 



SPECIES I.-LITTORELLA LACUSTRIS. Linn. 



Plate MCLXVIII. 



Esich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. Tab. MCXVI. Figs. 3 and 4. 

 milot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 628. 



The only known species. 



On the margms of lakes and ponds, growing under the water and 



