226 
BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
1.—BLUE JACOB’S LADDER, OR THE COMMON GREEK VALERIAN. (Polemonium cjeruleum, Lin.) 
Engravings.— Eng. Bot., t. 14 ; 2nd ed., t. 295 ; and our fig. 8, j Specific Character. — Leaves pinnate. Flowers erect. Root 
in PL 43. I fibrous. (Smith.) 
Description, &c. —This species, though common in gardens, is rare in a wild state in Britain, and it is said 
to grow only in Yorkshire. I have, however, myself found it growing abundantly on the hedge-banks of the 
sandy lanes near Shenstone, in Staffordshire, where it is called Charity ; why, it would be difficult to say, but 
its other English names seem equally inappropriate. It is a perennial, and flowers in May or June. Linnaeus 
says that it occasionally produces white flowers from the same root as the blue ones ; but I have never found this 
to be the case in the wild plants that I have seen. 
CHAPTER LIII. 
THE PLANTAIN FAMILY. (Plantagine.®, Juss.) 
Character of the Order. — Flowers usually hermaphrodite ; 
seldom unisexual. Calyx four-parted, persistent. Corolla mono- 
petalous, hypogynous, scarious, with a four-parted limb. Stamens 
four, inserted into the corolla alternately with its segments ; filaments 
filiform, doubled inwards in asstivatiou ; anthers versatile, two-celled. 
Ovarium sessile, two, or very seldom four-celled ; ovula peltate or 
erect, solitary, twin, or indefinite ; style simple, subulate; stigma 
hispid, simple. Capsule membranous, dehiscing transversely. Seeds 
sessile, peltate, or erect, solitary, twin, or indefinite; testa mucilaginous; 
embryo in the axis of fleshy albumen ; radicle inferior; plumula 
inconspicuous.—Herbaceous plants, usually stemless, occasionally with 
a stem ; hair simple, articulated. Leaves flat and ribbed, or taper and 
fleshy. Flowers in spikes, rarely solitary. ( Lindl .) 
Description, &c. —This order contains only two genera, both of common weeds possessing no beauty in 
their flowers. The genus Plantago (the Plantain) contains several species, the best known of which are the 
Greater Plantain or Waybread (P. major , Lin.), which is a favourite plant with canaries and other birds kept 
in cages, and the little plant called the Star of the Earth (P. Coronopus , Lin.). The other genus (Littorella) 
only contains one British plant, viz. the Plantain Shore-weed (L. lacustris), an insignificant little weed, found 
on the shores of the Highland and Cumberland lakes. 
CHAPTER LIY. 
THE LEAD WORT FAMILY. (PlumbaginejE, Juss.) 
Character of the Order. —Calyx tubular, plaited, persistent. 
Corolla monopetalous or five-petalous, regular. Stamens definite ; in 
the monopetalous species hypogynous, in the polypetalous inserted on 
the petals. Ovarium single, one-seeded ; ovulurn inverted, pendulous 
from the point of an umbilical cord arising from the bottom of the 
cavity; styles five, seldom three or four; stigmas nearly the same 
number. Pericarpium a nearly indehiscent utriculus. Seed inverted ; 
testa simple ; embryo straight; radicle superior.—Herbaceous plants 
or under shrubs, variable in appearance. Leaves alternate or clustered, 
undivided, somewhat sheathing at the base. Flowers in spikes or 
heads. ( R. Br.) 
Description, &c.— The only British plants included in this order are the Common Thrift or Sea Gilly¬ 
flower, and two or three species of Sea Lavender. 
THE THRIFT (Ak.meb.ia maritima, Dec.), 
Which is well known in gardens from the use made of it for edgings, is found in various parts of Great Britaiu. 
It is a perennial, and it produces its pretty pink flowers in July and August. There is a peculiarity in this 
