o54 
The leaves are numerous, and very beautiful F 
they lie upon the ground, and fpread themfelves 
~ out every way from the head of the root, in form 
of aftar: they are long, narrow, and deeply jag- 
ged at the edges; the jaggs are fo long that they 
have been fuppofed to give the leaf fome refem- 
blance of the horn of a buck; whence its Eng- 
lith name: they are of a pale green, and hairy. 
The ftalks are numerous, round, flender, and 
naked. ; 
The flowers are fmall, but have confpicuous 
white buttons from their centre. 
The feed-vefiel is {mall and oval, and the feed 
is very minute. 
The flowers and feed-veffels ftand in fhort, 
flender fpikes. 
It is common in barren places, and flowers in 
July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Coronopus fylveftris birfutior. 
Others, Coronopus, and Cornu cervinum, or Plan- 
tago coronopus ditia. We, in Englith, Bucks- 
horn plantain, and in fome places Star of the 
earth: but this laft is an improper name, becaufe 
it has been alfo given to a very different plant, to 
be defcribed hereafter, and therefore will create 
confufion. 
y. Little hairy Plantain. 
Plantago anguftifolia pumila incana. 
The root is large, irregular, oblong, and of a 
brown colour. 
The leaves are few, and fmall: they rife in a 
little tuft, and are tolerably upright: they have 
no footftalks: they are hairy, and of a pale green, 
and are broadeft in the middle, and narrower to 
the point, where they terminate fharply. 
The ftalk is round, weak, naked, upright, and 
four inches high. 
The flowers are fmall and white: they ftand in 
athick, fhort tuft at the top of the ftalk, and 
quickly fade. 
The feed-veffels are oval, fmall, and fmooth, 
and the feeds are very {mall and blackith. 
It is frequent about the fea-coaft of Suffex, and 
flowers in April. 
Ray calls it Plantago angujtifolia minor. 
This little plant is fubject, like the others, to 
the variations of having a divided fpike, or a 
leafy top; and they arife altogether from the 
fame caufe, the bitings of infects. This is an ac- 
cident that we fee produce ftrange appearances in 
many plants, from the oak to this meaneft of the 
plantain kind. 
The various excrefcences of the oak, the galls, 
oak-apples, and the like, are caufed only by the 
pundture of a fly. The rofe upon the willow, 
which is juft analogous to this upon the plantain, 
is alfo owing to the fame caufe 5 and fo are innu- 
merable others. 
8. Narrow-leaved mountain Plantain. 
Plantago Alpina anguftifolia. 
The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with 
a few fibres. 
2 
Th BRITISH HERBAL. 
The leaves rife from numerous heads, into 
which the root fplits at the crown 5 and are long, 
narrow, and of a pale green: they /have no 
footftalks ; they are broadeft in the middle, and 
{mall boch at the bafe and point, where they ter- 
minate fharply. 
The flalks are few, and- very fmall: they are 
not more than three inches high, round, flender; 
and green. 
The flowers are {mall, and of a greenifh white: 
they fland at the tops of the ftalks in a fmall, 
flender fpike. 
The feed-veflels are oval, and the feeds very 
fmall. F 
It is common on the Welch mountains, and 
flowers in April. 
C. Bauhine calls it Plantago Alpina anguflifolia. 
g. Hairy graffy-leaved Plantain. 
Plantago foliis gramineis hirfutis. 
The root is long, flender, white, and furnifhed 
with a few threads. 
The leaves rife in a confiderable tuft ; and are 
fmall, of a greyith green, and grafly: they are 
broadeft at the bafe, narrower all the way to the 
point, and hairy. 
The ftalks are weak, round, and naked, and 
fupport little fpikes of flowers. 
The flowers themfelves are very {mall and whi- 
tifh, and the fpikes thick, fhort, and roundith. 
The feed-veffel is roundifh, and the feeds are: 
fmall. 
It is common on the ifland of Sheepey, and in 
other parts about the fea-coafts. It flowers in 
June. 
Ray calls it Plantago gramineo folio birfuto mi- 
nor capitulo rotundiore brevi. 
10. Single-flowered Plantain. 
-Plantago monantbes. 
The root is compofed of a great number of 
fibres, which penetrate deep into the ground. 
The leaves rife in a large tuft; and they are 
narrow, long, and grafly; many lie on the 
ground, and a good number ftand up. 
Among thefe rife the ftalks : they are very mi- 
nute, flender, brown, and naked: they are not 
half an inch high; each fuftains a fingle flower, 
which is very fmall and inconfiderable ; and from 
this rife four very long ftamina, with large, white 
buttons. ‘ 
The feed-veffel is fmall and oval, and the feeds 
are very minute. 
It is not uncommon in boggy places, though, 
from its fmallnefs, little regarded. It flowers in 
| June. 
This little plant has a variety of long names. 
Tournefort calls it Plantago paluftris gramineo folio 
monanthos Parifienfis. Ray, Gramen junceum, 
Jive holofteum minimum paluftre capitulis quatuor lon 
gifimis faminibus donatis. 
DIVI- 
