i'AGO MEDIA. irlOARY FLANTAIN. 



PLANTAGO Lin. Gen. PI. TetrAndria Monogynia. 



Cat. 4-fidus. Cor. 4-fida : limbo reflexo, Stamina longlfiima. Cap/ 

 2-locularis, circumichTa. 



Rail Syn. Gen. 22. Herb.e vasculifer^ flore tetrapetalo anomaly, 



PLANTAGO media follis ovato-lanceolatis pubefcentibus, fpica cylindrica, fcapo tereti. Lin. Syfi. 

 Vegetab. p. 131. Sp. PL p. 163. Fl. Suec. n. 130. 



PLANTAGO follis fubhirfutis, ellipticis, fpica cylindrical denfa. Haller. Hifi. n. 659. 



PLANTAGO media. Scopoli Fl. Carnioh 162. 



PLANTAGO latifolia incana. Baubin. Pin. 189. 



PLANTAGO major incana; Parkins. 493. 



PLANTAGO incana. Ger. emac. 419. Rail Syn. p. 314. Hoary Plantain, or Lamb's Tongue, 

 Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p; 63. Lightfoot tL Scot. p. it 7. 



RADIX perennis, craffitie digiti aut pollicis, fubconica, |ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of one's finger or 

 apice in crura aliquot divifa, extus nigricans; | thumb, fomewhat conic, dividing at the top 



plurimis fibfillis inftru&a. % into a few branches, externally of a blackim 



I colour, and furnifhed with numerous fibres. 



FOLIA bvata, breviffime petiolata, fupra terrarh ex-? LEAVE'S ovate, fhmding on very (hort foot-ftalks, 

 panfa, interioribus fenfiin minoribus, quinque- | expanded on the ground, the innermoft ^ra- 



nervia, fubrugofa, utrinque pubefcentia, inte % dually fmalleftj having five ribs, fomewhat 



gerrima. | wrinkly, downy on both lidcs, and entire at 



I the edges. 



BCAPI plures, teretes, infra folia _ prodeuntes* fpitha- 1 FLOWERING-STEMS feveral, round, proceeding from 

 m^i, aut pedales, erecti* pubefcentes, pube | below the leaves, from feven inches to a foot 



fuperne erects adprefla. { in height, upright, downy, the hairs on the 



* upper part of it upright/ and prefTed to the 

 f: ffalk. 



SPICiE florum bylmdric^, pollicares aut palmares. ? SPIKES of the flowers cylindrical, from one to four 



I inches in length. 



BRAGTEA, feu fquamula lanceolata, concava, margined FLORAL-LEAF, a floral-leaf or lanceolate fmall hoJ- 

 membranacea, fingulo flofculo fubjicitur, Ion- | low fcale, membranous at the edge, and of the 



gitudine calycis. $ length of the calyx, is placed under each floret. 



CALYX: Perianthium quadripartitum, ere£him, per- | CALYX : a Pertanthtum deeply divided into four 

 fiftens; laciniis ovatis, acutiufculis, membra-^ fegments, erect and permanent ; the feo ments 



naceis, nervo vifidi infignitisi jig. 1. | ovate, a little pointed, membranous, and 



I marked with a green rib. fig. 1. 



COROLLA monopetala, perfiflens, tabefcens. Tubus ? COROLLA monopetalous, permanent, withered. Tube 

 cylindraceus, bafi globofus. Limbus quadri-| cylindrical, with a globular bafe. Limb divi- 



partitus, depreflus, laciniis ovatis, acutis. jig. 2.% ded into four fegments, which are prefled 



I downwards, ovate and pointed, fg. 2. 



STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, capillaria, erect.o- % STAMINA : four Filaments very (lender, fomewhat 

 patentia, calyce triplo longiora, purpurafcentia. | fpreading, thrice the length of the calyx, of a 



Anthers alba?> incumbentes, una extremi- | a purplim colour. Anthers white, layino- 



tate bifida, altera mucronata. fig. 3. | acrofs the filaments, one end bifid, the other* 



I pointed, fig. 3. 



P1STILLUM: Germen ovatum. Stylus filiformis, |PISTILLUM: Germen ovate. Style thread-maped 

 pilofus, (laminibus brevior. Stigma fimplex. | hairy, fnorter than the itamina. Stigma 



fig. 4. % fimple. fig. 4. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula ovalis, circumfcifla, dif-t SEED-VESSEL: an oval Capsule, dividing horizon- 

 perma. fig. 6. | tally in the middle, and containing two feeds. 



* fg- 6. 



SEMINA bina, hinc convexa, hide piano concava. | SEEDS two together, convex on one fide, and piano-con- 

 fig- 7- ? cave on the other, fig. 7. 



This fpecies of Plantain has a large root when fully grown, which penetrates deep into the earth, and being 

 fupplied with numerous lateral fibres, it fupports itfelf in the mod fcorching feafons, when the plants around it 

 are frequently burnt up. It is aifo one of thofe plants which are not deffroyed by repeated mowing, as moil: 

 lawns and grafs plats fufficiently teftify. 



It may be diftinguifned from the common Plantain by the leaves being fmaller, and hoary, (landing on fhorter 

 foot-ftalks, lying clofe to the ground, and having no notches on the edges; by its fpikes being fhorter, its filaments 

 longer, its antherae whiter and more (howy, and, if any other difference were wanting, we might add, that its 

 capfules, inftead of many, contain only two feeds, as in the lanceolata. 



About London it is not fo common as either the lanceolata or major ; but where the foil is chalky no plant occurs 

 more frequently. It flowers from June to Augvfi. 



Sheep, Goats, and Swine, eat it; Kine and Horfes refufe it. Lin. Pan. Suec. 



