78 ORD. IV. Aggregate. VALERIANA OFFICINALIS. 
‘THE root is perennial, consisting of a great number of simple 
fibres, which unite at their origin: the stalk is upright, smooth, 
channelled, round, branched, and rises from two to four feet in 
height: the leaves on the stem are placed in pairs upon short broad 
sheathes; they are composed of several lance-shaped, partially den- 
tated, veined, smooth pinnz, with an odd one at the end, which is 
the largest: the radical leaves are larger, stand upon long footstalks, 
_and the pinne are elliptical, and deeply serrated: the floral leaves 
are spear-shaped and pointed: the flowers are small, of a white or 
purplish colour, and terminate the stem and branches in large 
bunches: there is no calyx, or only a small narrow rim: the corolla 
consists of a narrow tube, somewhat swelled on the under side, and 
divided at the limb into five obtuse segments: the three filaments 
are tapering, longer than the corolla, and furnished with round 
anthere: the germen is placed beneath the corolla, and supports 
a slender style, shorter than the filaments, and terminated by a thick 
‘bearded stigma: the capsule is crowned with a radiated feather, 
and contains one seed of an oblong shape. It flowers in June, and 
commonly grows about hedges and woods. 
The narrower-leaved variety of this species of Valerian, which 
does not exceed two feet in height, and affects dry heaths and high 
pastures, is justly in more repute than the other; its roots manifest 
stronger sensible qualities, and consequently possess more medici- 
nal power; their smell is strong, and has been compared to that of 
a mixture of aromatics with fetids; their taste unpleasantly warm, 
bitterish, and subacrid. ‘“ The powdered root, infused in water or 
digested in rectified spirit, impregnates both menstrua strongly 
with its smell and taste. Water distilled from it smells considerably 
of the root, but no essential oil separates, though several pounds be 
submitted to the operation at once.’”’+ 
Valerian i is — to be the ge of Dioscorides and Galen,* by 
+ Lewis, M.M. 
* Gentts ge esse credo, a o» abominantis: olet enim radix felinum quid, non 
‘tamen siue grato odore nardi Hoff. ‘¢ This smell is highly delightfal to cats; rats 
are also said to be equally fond of these Ges and that rat-catchers employ them 
to draw the sats together.” Withering, 1. ¢ 
