common Plantain. 
% 
Plantago major. 
PLANTAGO Linruet. Gen. PI. Tetrandria Monogynia. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 22. Herba: vasculifer®: flore tetrapetalo anomaly. 
PLANTAGO major foliis ovatis glabris, fcapo tereti, fpica flofculis imbricatis. Lin. Syjl. Vegetal, p. 131. 
Spec. Plant, p. 163. FI. Suecic. n. 129. 
PLANTAGO foliis petiolatis, ovatis, glabris; fpica cylindrica. Haller, hijl. Helv . n. 660. 
PLANTAGO major. Scopoli. FI. Carniol. n. 161. 
PLANTAGO latifolia finuata. Bauhin pin. 189. 
PLANTAGO latifolia Ger. emac. 419. 
PLANTAGO latifolia vulgaris. Parkinfon. 493. Raii Syn. 314. Great Plantain or Way bread. Hud- 
fon FI. Angl. p. 51. Ocder. FI. Dan. ic. 461. Lightfoot. FI. Scot. p. 117. 
RADIX vetufta pollicaris, przemorfa, plurimis fibris 
albidis alte demiffis, terram firmiter apprehen- 
dens. 
FOLIA petiolata pramorfa, ovata, feptemnervia, glabra, 
juniora vero hirfutula, palmaria, margine mi- 
nutim remoteque dentata. 
PETIOLI longi, fubtus convexi, fupra concavi, bafi 
fubvaginati. 
SCAPI teretes, ere&i, pubefcentes, foliis longiores. 
SPICAE cylindricae, longae, floribus undique imbricatae. 
BRACTEA lanceolata, concava, fub fingulo flofculo. 
fg- 1- 
CALYX : Perianthium tetraphyllum, foliolis ovatis, 
concavis, obtufis, laevibus, fubaequalibus, per- 
fiftentibus. fg. 2. 
COROLLA monopetala, perfiftens, marcefcens; Tubus 
cylindrico-globofus, brevis, laciniis ovato-acu- 
tis, reflexis, fg. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, capillaria, patentia, 
corolla multo longiora ; Anther.® purpureae, 
biloculares, fingulo loculo bafi mucrone termi- 
nato.^. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen ovatum ; Stylus filiformis, 
flaminibus brevior, villofus ; Stigma fimplex. 
fg- 5 - 6 - 
PERICx^RPIUM : Capsula ovata, circumfcifla, fufca, 
continens Semina circiter 20 inaequalia, fufca. 
fg. 7. 8.9. 10. 
? ROOT when old the thicknefs of ones thumb, ftump- 
\ ed, laying ftrong hold of the earth by its fibres, 
which ftrike deeply into it and are of a whitifh 
■ colour. 
J LEAVES ftanding on footftalks, oval, having feven 
ribs, fmooth, but fomewhat hairy when young, 
about four fingers in length, the edge minutely 
and remotely indented. 
FOOT-STALKS of the leaves long, convex on the 
under fide, concave above, each forming a kind 
of fheath at its bafe. 
FLOWER-STALKS, round, upright, pubefcent, and 
longer than the leaves. 
SPIKES cylindrical, long, furrounded on every fide 
with flowers lying one over another. 
BRACTEA lanceolate, and hollow, under each flower. 
fg- i- 
CALYX : a Perianthium of four leaves, which are 
oval, concave, obtufe, fmooth, nearly equal 
and continuing, fg. 2. 
COROLLA monopetalous, continuing, of a withered 
appearance ; Tube of a cylindrical globular 
form, and fhort ; the Segments oval, pointed, 
and turned back. fg. 3. 
STAMINA : Filaments four, very fmall, fpreading, 
much longer than the corolla ; Anther®: pur- 
ple, bilocular, each cell terminating at bottom 
in a point, fg. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen oval; Style filiform, fhorter 
than the Stamina, villous ; Stigma limple. 
fg. 5. 6. 
SEED-VESSEL: an oval Capsule, dividing horizon- 
tally in the middle, and containing aliout 20 
unequal brown Seeds, fg. 7. 8.9. 10. 
This fpecies of Plantain grows plentifully in Meadows, Gardens, and by the fides of Paths, and fecms to flourifh 
moft in places moderately trodden on, whence perhaps its name of Way-bread. 
In rich ground the leaves often grow to an enormous fize ; and in gardens we often find cultivated, a very finfm- 
lar and monftrous variety of this plant, the Plantago rofea of fome botanifts, or Rofe Plantain of the Gardeners in 
which the flowers appear to be converted into leaves, which fpread open fomewhat like a rofe. 
Cattle in general appear very readily to eat the leaves, and the feeds are well known to afford food to many 
of the finall birds. 3 
It ufed to be held in confiderable efteem as a Medicine of the vulnerary kind: In the prefent pra&ice the diftil- 
led water is fometimes made ufe of, and chiefly in ulcerations of the Mouth and Throat. By the common peo- 
ple the leaves are often applied to frefh wounds, and burns. ” 
It differs remarkably in the number of its feeds from the Plantago lanceolata , in which we conftantly find t\ 
large feeds ; but in this I have moft commonly found about twenty fmall ones ; yet what is verv extraordinary* 
Rat and Scopoli mention its having only two. ' 
