PLANTAGINEJi]. 



less hoary with a short down, and 

 marked with 5 or 7 ribs. Peduncles 

 long and erect, bearing a dense cylin- 

 drical spike, shorter and much thicker 

 than in the greater P., but yet longer 

 than 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 

 purple. Ovary with 2 seeds in each 

 cell, but they often do not all ripen, and 

 the capsule has then but 3 or 2 alto- 

 gether. 



In dry, close pastures, chiefly in lime- 

 stone districts, in most parts of Europe 

 and western Asia. Abundant in similar -p. R21 



situations in England and the south of 

 Scotland, but not in Ireland. Fl. early summer, and often again in autumn. 



3. Ribwort Plantain. Plantago lanceolata, Linn. 



(Fig. 822.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 507. Ribwort.) 



Rootstock short, but thick and woody, 

 and often much branched, bearing tufts 

 of woolly hairs among the leaves. Leaves 

 erect or spreading, lanceolate, varying 

 much in size, but usually 2 to 4 inches 

 long, slightly hairy, with 3 or 5 ribs, and 

 more or less tapering into a stalk at the 

 base. Peduncles longer than the leaves, 

 erect and angular. Spike ovoid or ob- 

 long, usually 6 lines to near an inch 

 long, but sometimes very small and 

 globular, or, in very luxuriant specimens, 

 becoming cylindrical, and exceeding an 

 inch. Sepals scarious, marked with a 

 prominent green rib ; the 2 lower ones 

 often combined into one. Stamens 

 more than twice as long as the corolla, 

 with slender white filaments and yellow 

 anthers. Capsule with 2 hemispherical 

 seeds attached to the partition by their inner face 



Fig. 822. 



p2 



