( 207 .) 
PLANTA'GO* * 
Linnean Class and Order. TETRA'NDRiAf, Monogy'nia. 
Natural Order. Plantagi'nea;, Dr. R. Brown . — Lindl. Syn. 
p. 169. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 194. — Rich, by Macgilliv. 
p. 428. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 530. — Plantagines, Juss. Gen. PI. 
p. 89. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 93. — Syringales ; subord. Primu- 
los.e; sect. PlantagiNjE ; type, Plantaginace,e ; Burn. Outl. 
of Bot. v. ii. pp. 900, 958, 1026, & 1027. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1. & fig. 2, a.) inferior, of 1 sepal, in 
4 deep, upright, equal or unequal segments, permanent. Corolla 
(fig. 2, a. and fig. 3.) of 1 petal, tubular, permanent, finally mem- 
branous; tube swelling; limb in 4 deep, reflexed, egg-shaped, 
acute segments. Filaments (see fig. 2, c.) 4, inserted into the tube 
of the corolla, alternate with its segments, hair-like, very long and 
prominent, at first folded inward, then upright, finally flaccid. 
Anthers oblong, compressed, of 2 cells, bursting lengthwise. Ger- 
men (fig. 4.) superior, egg-shaped, of 2, rarely 4, cells. Style (see 
fig. 4.) vertical, thread-shaped, half as long as the stamens. Stigma 
hairy, simple. Capsule (fig. 5.) egg-shaped, thin, bursting all 
round, of 2, rarely 4, cells, with a longitudinal, finally separate re- 
ceptacle (placenta), bearing the seeds on each side. Seeds either 
solitary, in pairs, or numerous, oblong, sessile. 
The monopetalous, inferior corolla, with 4 reflexed segments ; 
the very long stamens ; and the 2- or 4-celled capsule , bursting all 
round, will distinguish this from other genera in the same class 
and order. 
Five species British. 
PLANTA'GO MA'JOR. Greater Plantain. Way-bred +. 
Spec. Char. Leaves broadly egg-shaped, smoothish, mostly on 
longish footstalks. Scape rounded. Spikes long, cylindrical. 
Dissepiment of the Capsule plane, each cell many-seeded 
Engl. Bot. 1. 1558.— Curt. FI. Lend. t. . — Linn Sp. PI. p. 163. — Iluds. FI. 
Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 63. — Sm. FI. Bril. v. i. p. 182. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 213. — With. 
(7th ed.) v. ii. p. 230.— Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 292. — Lindl. Syn. p. 169. — 
Hook. Brit. FI. p.67. — Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 117. — Woodv. Med. Bot. v. i. 
p. 39. t. 14. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 56. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 30. — Thorn. Family 
Herbal, p. 86. — Davies' Welsh Bot. p. 15. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 92. — Relh. 
FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 62. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 53. — Grev. FI. F.din. p. 37. — FI. 
Devon, pp. 28 & 141. — Johnst. FI. Berw. v. i. p. 37. — Winch’s FI. of Northumb. 
and Durham, p. 10. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 40. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 42. — Mack. 
Catal. of PI. of Irel. p. 18. FI. Hibernica, pt. i. p. 175 . — Plantago latifolia 
vulgaris, Ray’s Syn. p. 314 . — Platago latifolia, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 419. 
Localities. — I n meadows and pastures; on waste ground and by way sides. 
Common. 
Perennial. — Flowers from May to August. 
* Fig. 1. Calyx.— Fig. 2. A separate Flower; a. calyx ; b. corolla , c. sta- 
mens; d. Pistil. — Fig. 4. A Corolla. — Fig. 5- Germen, Style, and Stigma. — Fig. 
5. A Capsule. — Fig. 6. A Seed. — All, more or less, magnified. — Fig. 7. Var. ij. 
* From the flatted appearance and form of its leaves, somewhat resembling 
the sole of the foot. Withering. 
f See Asperula odorata. fol. 46, note f, 
t So called from its prevalence on the wayside, seeming as if bred on the road. 
Prof. Burnett, 
