PLANTAGINE^. 433 



or cylindrical tube, and 4 spreadino^ lobes. Stamens 4, alter- 

 nating with the lobes of the corolla, and usually very long. 

 Ovary 1-, 2-, or 4-celled, with one or more ovules in each cell, 

 and terminating in a long, simple style. Capsule opening 

 transversely or indehiscent. 



A small Order, widely spi-ead over the globe, but most abundant in the 

 temperate regions of the old world. 



Flowers hermaphrodite, in terminal heads or spikes 1. Plantaik. 



Flowers unisexual, solitary or two together, the males staUced, the 



females sessile amongst the leaves 2. Littorel. 



I. PLANTAIN. PLANTAGO. 



Flowers hermaphrodite, in heads or spikes on a leafless peduncle. Cap- 

 sule 2- or 4-celIed, with 2 or more seeds. 



The genus comprises the whole family, with the exception of the single 

 species of Littorel. 



Leaves ovate or lanceolate, strongly ribbed. 



Leaves very broad, stalked. Spike long. Capsule several-seeded I. Greater P. 



Leaves ovate, almost sessile. Spike cylindrical. Capsule 2-seeded 2. Hoary P. 



Leaves lanceolate. Spike ovoid or shortly cyhndrical. Capsule 



2-seeded 3. JtibwortP. 



Leaves Unear, entire or pinnatiiid. 



Leaves entire or very slightly toothed. Ovary 3-celled .... 4. Sea P. 



Leaves deeply toothed or pinnatifid. Ovary 4-celled , .... 5. Buclcshorn P, 



1. Greater Plantain. Flantago major, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. t. 1558.) 



Eootstock short and thick. Leaves erect or spreading, broadly ovate, 

 often 4 or 5 inches long and nearly as broad, entire or toothed, glabrous or 

 downy, marked with 7 (rarely 9 or only 5) prominent, parallel ribs, con- 

 verging at the base into a rather long footstalk. Peduncles usually longer 

 than the leaves, bearing a long, slender spike of sessile flowers, smaller than 

 in the two following species. Sepals green in the centre, scarious on the 

 edges. Stamens longer than the corolla, but shorter than in the two fol- 

 lowing species. Capsule 2-ceUed, with from 4 to 8 seeds in each cell. 



In pastures, on roadsides, and in waste places, throughout Europe and 

 Russian and central Asia, and has spread with cultivation over almost every 

 part of the globe. Very abundant in Britain. FL summer and autumn. 

 It varies much in size ; the spike of flowers is seldom less than 2 inches, 

 sometimes as much as 6 inches, long. 



2. Hoary Plantain. Plantago media, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 1559.) 



Rootstock thick, almost woody, and branched as in the ribwort P. 

 Leaves ovate, sessile, usually closely sjjreading on the ground, more or less 

 hoary with a short down, and marked with 5 or 7 ribs. Peduncles long 

 and erect, bearing a dense cylindrical spike, shorter and much thicker than 

 in the greater P., but yet longer tlian in the ribwort P., varying from 1 to 

 near 2 inches in length. Flowers and capsules of the ribwort P., except 

 that the 4 sepals are free, the corolla more silvery, and the stamens pink or 



I purple. Ovary with 2 seeds in each ceU, but they often do not all ripen 



I and the capsule has then but 3 or 2 altogether. 



2p 



