178 : 
butis furnished with many short fibres which link them together. 
Their thickness varies: at the top they are generally that of one’s 
finger, but taper gradually towards the base, and altogether re- 
semble the tail of sore animals. The radical leaves are long, 
lanceolate, acute, nerved, somewhat coriaceous, very entire, 
slightly pubescent, of a lively green coleur. The stalks are soli- 
tary, arising from the centre of the leaves, varying from four to 
six inches in height, although they sometimes attain a foot; they 
are erect, very simple, cylindrical, furnished always, whatever 
their height may be, with twe pee of leaves, pubescent, espe- 
cially towards the top and Jeaves. s.opposite, sessile, 
of nearly the same radical ones, but much shorter, 
especially the uppermost pair: at the base they unite into a short 
sheath. ‘The flowers are purple, collected inte a crowded ter- 
minal cluster. The smell of the roots is peculiar to the genus, 
but more especially to Vuleriana Celtica and. officinalis; that of 
_ the Jatamansi may, however, be considered as possessing the 
most agreeable of any. This smell, which to man y would not, 
perhaps, prove grateful, has led some to doubt its being the 
Spikenard of the ancients. My learned friend Dr. Francis Ha- 
milton, in his account ef Nepal, has expressed some doubts on 
the subject; but he says, “ As there can be no disputing about 
, I cannet take upon beret to say how far the encomiums 
bestowed on the Sp ard are applicable to this Valerian ; 
-and the native women, no doubt, consider the smell very agree- 
able, because most of such as can afford it, use oil impregnated 
with this root for perfuming their hair. All I can say is, that, 
if this root was the Spikenard of the Roman ladies, their lovers 
must have had a very different tasté from the youth of modern 
Europe.” eee the objections that eeaisht be raised 
