Fig. 54.—Plantago major, with panicled inflorescence.
Fig. 55.—Inflorescence of Plantago major, with bracts partly replaced by leaves and spike branched.
Fig. 56.—Inflorescence of Plantago lanceolata, bearing a tuft of leaves and flowers at the end of the flower-scape.
It is rather singular that each species of Plantago seems to have its own perverse mode of growth; for instance, the bracteate, polystachyate and paniculate forms are almost exclusively confined to P. major, the roseate form to P. media, the proliferous form to P. lanceolata.
The instances wherein flower-buds originate from the surface of an inferior ovary, as in those cases where the top of the stem is dilated so as to form part of the fruit, would be properly classed under the head of prolification of the inflorescence. As, however, there is still some difference of opinion as to the correct morphological interpretation to be put on some of these cases, it has been thought better to include them under the head of heterotaxy than of prolification.