Plant ago.'] 



LXVIII. TLANTAGINACE^. 



347 



for their numerous, slender entangled, barren branches, and small 

 crowded flowers, in second terminal spikes, S, reticulata L,, a Maltese 

 plant, as far as regards the character in the Species Plantarum and 

 reference to the figures in Boccone and Plukenet is, according to 

 Boissier, the S. cancellata Bernh., a species with acute lobes to the 

 calyx ; we do not know what is preserved in the Linnean herba- 

 rium. The identity of the British plant with S. Caspia W. was 

 pointed out in former editions of this Flora. 



Ord. LXVIIL PLANTAGIXACE^ Juss. 



Sometimes monoecious. 



(of 



flowers) 4-partite. Corolla scariose, 4-lobed. Stamens 4, or 

 rarely 1, alternate with the segments of the corolla. Filaments 

 exserted. Ot-ary 1-celled with 1 ovule^ or 2-celled with 4 or 

 many ovules. Style and stigma simple, the latter rarely divided. 

 Capsule opening transversely, 2- or 4- celled, with 2—4 or many 

 seeds; or hard and indehiscent, l-celled, 1-seeded. Seeds pel- 

 tate, inserted on the dissepiments or at the base of the cell, 



rarely erect. 



bitter and astringent. 



Embryo In a fleshy or horny albumen. 



Seeds mucilaginous. 



Slightly 



1. Plantago. Flowers perfect. Stamens inserted upon the tube of 



the corolla. Caps, dehiscent, 2— 4-seeded. 



2. LiTTORELLA. .Flowcrs imperfect. Stamens hypogynous. Frmt 



bony, indehiscent, 1-seeded. 



1. Plantago Linn. Plantain. 



Flower's perfect. Cor. with an ovate tube; limb 4-partite, 

 reflexed. Stam. 4, inserted upon the tube of the corolla. Caps. 

 opening transversely, of 2-4 cells, 2-4- or many-seeded.— 

 Named from planta, a plant, but why applied to any particular 



one, by the Romans, is unknown. 

 ginous and astringent. 



All the species are mucila- 



1. P. major L. (greater P.) ; leaves broadly ovate mostly on 

 longish grooved foot-stalks, scape rounded, spikes long cylin- 

 drical, sepals with a prominent dorsal nerve, capside 2-celled 

 with the dissepiment plane, each cell many-seeded. F. B. 

 t. 1558.-/3. microstachya ; scape shorter than the leaves, spike 

 lax with about 3 — 6 flowers. 



Pastures and road-sides frequent. — p. Turf-bogs, Cunnamara, 



Ireland, If.. 6~S. — Leaves all radical, more or less spreading, 



with 7 nerves (or in /3. 3 nerves), entire or toothed, glabrous or 



pubescent, 

 leaf. 



Petioles varying in length, sometimes as long as the 

 Spike usually dense. At the base of each flower is a concave 



hractea. Ca/. of 4 minute leaflets. C«j95. ovate, with 4 — % seeds in 



each cell. 



Q 6 



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