Plantago. 



PLANTAGINACE^E. 



15 



** Celts of the capsule 1-seeded. 



2. Plantago cordata, Lam. Heart-leaved Plantain. 



Plant very smooth ; leaves broadly ovate, cordate, obscurely toothed ; spike elongated, 

 loosely imbricate , the lower flowers scattered ; bracts and calyx-segments roundish-ovate, 

 obtuse ; seeds membranaceously margined. — Lam enc. 5. p. 369 ; " Jacq. eclog. fasc. 8. 

 p. 106. t. 72," ex Rcem. Schult. 3. p. 114 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 98 ; Muhl. cat. p. 15 ; Torr. 

 fl. 1. p. 182 ; Beck, hot. p. 292. P. Kentuckensis, Miclix. fl. I. p. 94. 



Perennial. Leaves 3-6 inches long and 2-4 inches wide, thin, usually cordate at the 

 base, obtuse: petiole longer than the lamina. Scapes 12- 18 inches high (including the 

 spike), thick and somewhat succulent. Bracts concave, shorter than the flowers. Segments 

 of the corolla ovate, reflexed. Stamens 2-3 times as long as the corolla : anthers very large. 

 Style slightly pubescent. Capsule globose-ovoid, apiculate ; the dissepiment separating at 

 maturity. Seeds 2, oval, flat on the face, convex on the back, with a distinct membranaceous 

 border. 



Borders of creeks, wet meadows, etc. Manhattanville on the Island of New-York, and 

 near Fishkill in Dutchess county. June - July. A rare plant in the Northern States, but 

 frequent in Kentucky, Ohio, &c. 



3. Plantago lanceolata, Linn. Rib-grass. English Plantain. 



Leaves lanceolate, acute at each end ; spike short and dense, ovate-cylindrical ; scape 

 elongated, grooved ; the two lower sepals confluent to the summit; — Linn. sp. 1. p. 113; 

 Engl. hot. t. 507 ; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 98 ; Ton: fl. 1. p. 184 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 51 ; Beck, 

 hot. p. 293 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 110. 



Perennial. Leaves 4-8 inches long and about an inch wide, strongly 3 - 5-nerved, 

 smoothish or a little pubescent, remotely denticulate, tapering at the base into a petiole. 

 Scape much longer than the leaves, deeply grooved. Spike usually about an inch long. 

 Bracts ovate, acuminate, brownish. Calyx consisting of apparently three sepals, which are 

 scarcely united at the base, but the lower two are combined into one, which is oval, emarginate, 

 and marked with two distinct lines or heels ; the two upper sepals are narrower, with a single 

 line in the middle, and hairy towards the summit. Segments of the corolla ovate, very acute, 

 at length reflexed. Stamens very long. Capsule roundish-obovate. Seeds oblong, concavo- 

 convex, shining. 



Fields and upland meadows ; very common. Introduced from Europe. May - October. 

 This plant is eaten by all kinds of stock, and in some countries it is cultivated for herbage, 

 but in general it is lightly esteemed by agriculturalists. 



