LITTORELLA LACUSTRIS. PLANTAIN SHORE-
WEED.
LITTORELLA lacustris.
LITTORELLA lacustris. Linn. Mant. p. 295. Huds. Angl. p. 415. Light/. Scot. p. 5 7 1 . With.
Bot. A rr. ed. 4. vol. 3. p . 192. Hofm. Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1. P . II. p . 245. Willd. Sp.
PI. vol. 4. p . 330. Smith Fl. Brit. p . 1 0 1 1 . Engl. Bot. t. 468. Decand. Fl. Fr.
ed. 8. vol. 3. p. 417- Fl. Gall. Syn.. p . 202. A it. Hort. Kczv. ed. 2. vol. 5. p . 9,57.
Pers. Syn. PI. vol. 2. p. 5 5 1. Wahl. Lapp. p. 250. Hook. Fl. Scot. P. I. p. 271.
PLANTAGO uniflora. Linn. Sp. PI. p. 167. Fl. Dan. t. 170.
PLANTAGO palustris gramineo folio monanthos, Parisiensis. Raii Syn. p. 316.
Dut. Oevergras. Fr. La Littorelle des étangs. Germ. D e r Stranling. Welsh. Beisdonell Merllyn.
Class a nd Order. MONOECIA TETRANDRIA.
[N atural Ord e r . PLANTAGINEÆ, Juss., Decand., Br.]
Cbn. Char.—-Fl . Masc. Cal. tetraphylh
bracteæ tres sic dicantur. Cor. urceolata, <
Cor. quadri-fida. Siam, longissima.— Fl . Fcem. Cal. nulla, nisi
confracto lacerato. Stylus longissirirus. Capsula circumscissa.
Gbn. Char.—Male Fl. Cal. of four leaves. Cor. four-fid. St am. very long.— F em . F l. Cal: none, except
three bracte« may be so called. Cor. urceolate, with the mouth contracted, lacerated. Style very Ions. Capsule
cut round transversely. J f
Radix stolonifera, fibrosa, fibris crassis, simplicibus,
pallide fuscis.
Caulis nullus.
Folia radicalia, digitalia, numerosa, lineari-subulata,
obtusa, crassa, viridia, glabra, integerrima, semi-
cylindrica, basi dilatata, canaliculata, margine
alba.
Flores masculi longe pedicellati; pedicelli ex axillis
foliorum, graciles, versus medium bractea parva
ovati instructi, uniflori.
Calyx tetraphyllus, vel profunde quadri-partitus; fo-
liolis ovato-lanceolatis, viridibus.
Corolla subhypocrateriformis, alba, tubo inflato, limbo
quadri-partito, segmentis ovatis, patentibus.
Stamina quatuor, e fundo tubi coroll«; Filamenta
longissima, flexuosa, demum pendentia; Antbene
ovato-cordat«, flavo-virides, dorso affix«, latera-
liter dehiscentes.
Flores fceminei sessiles, plerumque bini vel terni, ad
basin pedicellorum masculinorum.
Calyx nullus, sed bracte« tres in«quales ad basin co-
roll«.
Corolla monopetala, ovato-acuminata, indivisa, apice
sublacerata; Stamina nulla.
Pistillum unicum; Germen oblongo-ellipticum, viride;
Stylus longus; Stigma Ion gissimum, filiforme,
pubescens.'
ericarpium : Capsula monosperma, parva, elliptica,
fusca, punctata, (transversim dehiscens, Juss.)
corolla tecta.
Semen capsul« conforme; 'Albumen album, carnosum;
Embryo albuminis fere longitudine; Cptyledones
semicylindrici; Radicula cylindracea, infera.
Root stoloniferous, fibrous, the fibres thick, unbranched,
of a pale brown colour.
Stem none.
L eaves all springing from the root, numerous, about a
finger’s length, between linear and subulate, obtuse,
thick, green, glabrous, entire, semicylindri-
cal, swollen at the basis, channelled, the margin
white.
Male Flowers upon long footstalks: the footstalks
springing from the axils of the leaves, slender,
furnished with a small ovate bractea near the
middle, single-flowered.
Calyx of four leaves, or deeply four-cleft; the leaflets
ovato-lanceolate, green.
Corolla subhypocrateriform, white, the tube swoln,
the limb four-partite, its segments ovate, spread-
Stamens four, springing from*the bottom of the tube of
the corolla; Filaments very long, flexuose, finally
pendent; Anthers between ovate and cordate,
yellow green, affixed by the back, splitting
lengthwise.
Female Flowers sessile, generally growing in twos
and threes, situated at the base of the footstalks
o f the male flowers.
Calyx none, or consisting o f three unequal bracteas at
the base o f the corolla.
Corolla of one petal, ovato-acuminate, undivided,
somewhat torn at the apex; Stamens none.
Pist il single; Germen oblongo-elliptic, green; Style
long; Stigma very long, filiform, downy.
Pe r ica rp, a one-seeded, small, elliptic, brown, dotted
(transversely splitting, Juss.) Capsule covered
by the corolla.
Se ed of the same form as the capsule; Albumen white,
fleshy; Embryo nearly as long as the albumen;
Cotyledons semicylindrical; Radicle cylindrical,
inferior.
the leaf p-a eƒ °^.er' 2‘ Anther.. Fig. 3. Female flowers at the base of the male pedicel in the base o
j,y 5 ‘ J g f i fenaale flower with its three bracteas; the stigma and part of the style being cut away
Pip o 'p ls Fig. 6. Pericarp or nut. Fig. 7. Capsule cut through transversely, showing the seed
apsule cut through vertically, to show the situation of the Embryo :—all more or less magnified.
P^ant> being monoecious, yet having its essential organs of fructification so similar to those o
The lea* la v.^°u™.e^or*: an^ some of the older authors did not think it necessary to separate them.
The mai!'«8 0t lhe/ ittorella have a considerable affinity with those o f some of the varieties of Plan ta g o maritima
This • aS alone. are Pedunculated, the female ones are Sessile.
marginsïfA? • in July> and.the plant is to be found in low places that are overflowed in winter, or by the
brightest orp Ü pi ■esj wbere n0 individual can be more abundant, forming in such situations a carpet of the
shores of r “nmixed the foliage of any other plant. The specimens here figured were gathered on the
J-ocn Lomond* '