PLANTAIN. 4 75 
All plants having gamopetalous corollas are considered by botanists. 
to constitute the most highly-developed section of flowering-plants—that 
is to say, they form the most highly-specialised group; but frequently 
even amongst these we meet with retrogression. Such, undoubtedly, are 
Abrotanella, most species of Cotwla, &c., among Composites (p. 60), and 
probably also such plants as Coprosma, Myrsine, &e. We meet with the 
same fact of retrograde development in the small family of plants repre- 
sented by Plantago. The flowers have become anemophilous (wind- 
fertilised), and have quite lost any brilliance of colour the corolla may 
have ever possessed. At the same time they have retained the advan- 
tages to be derived from cross-fertilisation by having their flowers pro- 
togynous, the flowers at the bottom of the spike protruding their styles. 
first, and these withering away before the anthers hang out. Thus, on 
the same spike the styles of the upper flowers are usually protruded at 
the same time as the anthers of the lower. 
Pig. 145. Flower of Plantago lanceolata, 2nd stage. 
