LITTORELLA LACUSTRIS. PLANTAIN SHORE-
WEED.
LITTORELLA lacustris.
LITTORELLA lacustris. Urm. Mant. p. 295., Hitds. Angl.p. 415. L ig h tf. Scot. p. 571. With.
Bot. A rr. cd. 4. vol. 3. p. 192. Hoffm. Germ. cd. 2. vol. 1. P . I I . p. 245. JVilld. Sp.
PI. vol. 4. p. 330. Smith Fl. Brit. p'. 1011. Engl. Bot. t. 468. Decand. Fl. Fr.
ed. 3. vol. S. p. 417. Fl. Gall. Sm . p. 202. Ait. Hort. Kern. cd. 2. vol. 5. p . 257.
Pers. Syn. PI. vol. 2. p. 551. Wahl. Lapp. p. 250. Hook. Fl. Scot. P. I. p. 271 •
PLANTAGO uniflora. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 167. Fl. Dan. t. 170.
PLANTAGO palustris gramineo folio monanthos, Parisiensis. Raii Syn. p. 316.
Dut. Oevergras. Fr. L a Littorelle des étangs. Germ. Der Stranling. Welsh. Beisdonell Merllyn.
Class and Ord er. MONOECIA TETRANDRIA.
[N atural Ord er. PLANTAGINEiE, J uss., Decand., B r .]
Ge n . Char.—F l.'Masc. Cal. tetraphyllus. Cor. quadri-fida. Siam, longissima.— Fl . F<em. Cal. nulla, nisi
bractem tres sic dicantur. Cor. urceolata, ore confracto lacerato. Stylus longissimus. Capsula circumscissa.
G e n . Char.—Male Fl. Cal. of four leaves. ■ Cor. four-fid. Siam, very long.—Fem. F l. Cal. none, except
three bracteas may be so called. Cor. urceolate, with the mouth contracted, lacerated. Style very long. Capsule
cut round transversely.
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 inflate, limbo ;
quadri-pardto, segmentis ovatis, patentibus.
Stamina quatuor, e fundo tubi corollas; Filamenta
longissima, flexuosa, demum pendentia; Antheras
ovato-cordatse, flavo-virides, dorso affixte, latera-
liter dehiscentes.
F lores fceminei sessiles, plerumque bini vel temi, ad
basin pedicellorum masculinorum.
Calyx nullus, sed bracteas tres inaequales ad basin corollas.
Corolla monopetala, ovato-acuminata, indivisa, apice
sublacerata; Stamina nulla.
P istillum unicum; Germen oblongo-ellipticum, viride;
Stylus longus; Stigma longissimum, filiforme,
pubescens.
P ericarpium : Capsula monosperma, parva, elliptica,
fusca, punctata, (transversim dehiscens, Juss.)
corolla, tecta.
Semen capsulae conforme; Albumen album, carnosum;
Embryo albuminis fere longitudine; Cotyledones
semicylindrici; Radicula cylindracea, infera.
Root stoloniferous, fibrous, the fibres thick, unbranched,
of a pale brown colour.
Stem none.
Leaves 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 F lowers 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, spreading.
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 F lowers sessile, generally growing in twos
and threes, situated a t the base of the footstalks
o f the male flowers.
Calyx none, or consisting of three unequal bracteas at
the base of the corolla.
Corolla of one petal, ovato-acuminate, undivided,
somewhat torn at the apex; Stamens none.
P is t il single; Germen oblongo-elliptic,' green; Style
long; Stigma very long, filiform, downy.
Perica 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.
Fig. 1. Male flower. Fig. 2. Anther. Fig. 3. Female flowers at the base of the male pedicel in the base of
the leaf. Fig. 4. Single female flower with its three bracteas; the stigma and part of the style being cut away.
Fig. 5. Pistil. Fig. 6. Pericarp or nut. Fig. 7. Capsule cut through transversely, showing the seed.
Fig. 8. Capsule cut through vertically, to show the situation of the Embryo:—all more or less magnified.
An interesting little plant, being monoecious, yet having its essential organs o f fructification so similar to those of
Plantago, that Tournefort and some of the older authors did not think it necessary to separate them.
The leaves of the Littorella have a considerable affinity with those of some of the varieties of Plantago maritima.
The male flowers alone are pedunculated, the female ones are sessile.
This species flowers in July, and the plant is to be found in low places that are overflowed in winter, or by the
margins of Alpine lakes, where no individual can be more abundant, forming in such situations a carpet ot the
brightest green, unmixed with the foliage of any other plant. The /specimens here figured were-.gathered on the
shores of Loch Lomond.