506 Okder 79.— PLANTAGINACE^. 



12. SAM'OLUS, L. Water Pimpernel. (Celtic san, salutary, mos, 

 a pig ; a specific for the diseases of swine, says Pliny.) Calyx partly ad- 

 herent, 5-cleft ; cor. hypocrateriform, 5-cleft ; sta. 5, alternating with 5 

 scales (sterile filaments) ; caps, dehiscent at top by 5 valves, many-seeded. 

 — Herbs with alternate Ivs. Fls. corymbous or racemous. (Fig. 272.) 



S. valerdndi L. /?. amebic anus (Gray). St. simple or branched; Ivs. obtuse, 

 ovate or obovate, the radical petiolate ; fls. in a raceme or panicle of racemes, pe- 

 dicels with a minute bract near the middle ; pet. longer than the sep. — In wet, 

 gravelly places, frequent throughout the country. Sts. 6' to If high, simple when 

 first flowering, becoming often much branched. Lvs. thin, about 1' long. Ped. 

 less than 1', with small (near 2" diam.) milk white fls. A white spot in the axils 

 of the branches. Jl. — Sept. (North), Apr.— Jl. (South). (S. floribunda of authors.) 



Order LXXIX. PLANTAGINACE^. Eibworts. 



JECeris rarely shrubby, with radical leaves and the flowers in a spike on a scape. 



Flowers regular, tetramerous. Sla/mens i, alternate with the lobes of the corolla 



and inserted on its tube. AnUiers versatile, fila/menis usually slender and exserted. 



Fruit a membranous pyxis, with 1, 2, or many albuminous seeds. 



Genera 3, species 200, most fthundant in temperate climates, scattered throughout all coun- 

 tries of the globe. Properties unimportant. 



PLANTA^GO, L. Plantain. Ribwort. Sepals 4, membranous, 

 persistent ; corolla monopetalous ; border 4-toothed, spreading, per- 

 sistent and withering on the fruit ; stamens 4 (rarely 2), the long, slen- 

 der filaments exserted, or in some of the fls. included ; ovary 2 (-4)- 

 celled ; "pyxis membranous, opening below the middle by a lid, when 

 the loose dissepiment falls out with the seeds. — (Herbs acaulescent.) 

 Fls. small, whitish, in a slender spike raised on a scape. 



§ stamens uniformly exserted. Corolla lobes spreading. Flowers reniform. (a) 



a Seeds 7 to 16. Leaves broadly ovate, 7-veined. Spike dense No. X ■ 



a Seeds 4 only. Leaves oblong or cordate, 3 to 7-veined Nos. 2, 3 



a Seeda2 only. Leaves lanceolate. Scape tall Nos. 4,5 



a Seeds 2 or 4. Le.aves linear, fleshy ■ ' Nos. 6, 7 



§ Stamens mostly included, with short anthers. Flowers dimorphous? (b) 



b Seeds 3 only. Corolla lobes roundish, reflexed. Leaves linear No. 8 



b Seeds 2, rarely 8 or 4. Corolla lobes erect. Leaves lanceolate No. 9 



b Seefls4to20. Leaves linear. Plants very small Nos.10,11 



1 P. major L. Cojimok Plantain or Eiewoet. Ims. ovate, smoothish, some- 

 what tooVasi, pakiiately 1 -veined, with long, channeled footstalks; scape' round; 

 fls. densely spiked ; seeds 7 to 16. — li Common always at the door and by the 

 wayside. Tlie leaves are reputed a good external application for wounds, &a 

 The seeds are eaten by sparrows and other small birds. Lvs. broad, flat, with 

 about 1 veins, eaoli containing a strong fibre which may be pulled out. Scape 1 

 to 3f high, with a very long (o to 20'), cylindric spike. Pis. white, inconspicuous, 

 appearing in succession all summer. § Eur., &c. 



2 P. Rugelii Done. Los. dbhng or obhng-eUiptiml, obtuse, 3 to 5-veined, atten- 

 uated to a petiole ; ped. slender, terete ; spike cylindrical, mom or less loose-flow- 

 ered ; bracts acutish, shorter tlian the smooth sepals. — AJa. (Decaisne in Prod. 

 DC. XIII, p. 700). AUied to P. major, perhaps too nearly.. 



3 P. cord^ta Lam. I/vs. cordate-ovate, hroad, smooth, subpinnately 5 to 7-veined, 

 obscurely toothed ; fls. loosely spioate, lower ones scattered, with ovate, obtuse, 

 bracts; pyxis A-seeded. — 1[ Can. to Tenn. and Ga., along streams. Our largest 

 native species, nearly as large as P. major. Spikes 6 to 8' long, on scapes twice 

 as high. Lvs. 3 to 6' long, more or less cordate at base. Cor. white, with obo- 

 vate segments. Pyxis a third longer than the calyx, with 2 margined seeds in 

 each cell. Jn., Jl. 



4 P. lanceolata L. Lvs. lanceolate, tapering at each end, petiole channeled; 

 spike ovate or cylindric, dense ; scape angular ; lra£ts and cor. lobes acuminate. — 



