tinged, glaucous, ellipsoid, 5-7 mm. long, 4-5 mm. thick, the beak about 1 mm. 

 long; stones oval, flattened, 2.5-3.5 mm. long, about 2 mm. wide, obtuse at each 

 end. 5. vulgaris Michx., S. spicatus Engelm. 



In woods and thickets, especially along streams, occasionally in marshes and 

 wet meadows, in e. third of Tex. and e. half of Okla., Apr.-July; from N.Y., s. 

 to Fla. and w. to Tex., n. Mex., Colo, and e. S.D. 



Fam. 126. Valerianaceae Batsch Valerian Family 



Herbaceous annuals or perennials with opposite exstipulate leaves; flowers 

 small, in cymes or capitate, perfect or unisexual; calyx annular or variously 

 toothed, often inrolled in flower and forming a feathery pappus in fruit; corolla 

 funnelform to rotate or almost salverform, 4- or 5-lobed, the base often saccate 

 or spurred on one side; stamens 1 to 4, inserted near the base of the corolla tube; 

 ovary inferior, mostly 3-ceIled, with 1 cell fertile and the other 2 cells sterile or 

 essentially wanting; ovule 1 , pendulous; fruit dry, indehiscent. 



About 13 genera and 400 species mostly in the Northern Hemisphere. 



1. Plants perennial; distribution in mountains of the Texas Trans-Pecos, west- 

 ward 1. Valeriana 



1. Plants annual; distribution east of the mountains of the Texas Trans-Pecos 

 and Oklahoma, eastward 2. Valerianella 



1. Valeriana L. Valerian. Tobacco-root 



Perennial herbs with thickened strong-scented roots or rhizomes and with leafy 

 or scapose stems; leaves entire to pinnate; inflorescence determinate, the cymes 

 clustered or paniculate; calyx at first involute, later spreading, the limb sessile, 

 hyaline, membranaceous, becoming setose distally, the setae plumose or the 

 limb short-cupuliform and more or less toothed or lobed; corolla rotate to funnel- 

 form, the tube straight or gibbous, the throat more or less hairy, the 5 lobes 

 subequal; stamens usually 3; anthers sessile or on filaments, 2- to 4-Iobed; ovary 

 3-celled, maturing 1 fertile adaxial carpel with 1 pendulous ovule, the other 

 2 abaxial carpels vestigial; style 1, the stigma 3-lobed; fruit an achene. 



About 200 species in temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. 

 Dried plants of the species in this genus are persistently malodorous. 



1. Plants from rhizomes; leaves mostly pinnate or pinnatifid, sometimes un- 

 divided, petiolate, the blade of undivided leaves more or less 

 abruptly expanding; corolla infundibuliform or rotate; achene 

 smooth, more or less plane adaxially; flowers hermaphroditic or 

 gynodioecious (2) 



1. Plants from a stout caudex and conical taproot; leaves mostly lingulate- 



spatulate, gradually decurrent to the subpetiolar and clasping base; 

 cauline leaves frequently pinnate to pinnatifid and more or less 

 decurrent; corolla essentially rotate; achene transversely rugose or 

 smooth, adaxial ribs relatively prominent; flowers polygamo-dioeci- 

 ous (3) 



2(1). Corolla infundibuliform, 4-8 mm. long; leaves more often oblanceolate to 

 obovate-spatulate 1. V. capitata. 



2. Corolla rotate to subrotate, 3-3.5 mm. long; leaves predominantly oblong 



2. V. occidentalis. 



3(1). Leaves undivided, elliptic to obovate-spatulate, glabrous; calyx limb 6- to 

 8-fid 3. V. texana. 



3. Leaves divided and undivided, somewhat repand to undulate-lamellate or 



entire, uniformly spreading-ciliate; calyx limb 9- to 13-fid 



4. V. edulis. 



1562 



