Vol. III.] MOSCHATEL FAMILY. 243 



I. ADOXA L. Sp. PI. 367. 1753. 

 Characters of the famil}-. [Greek, without glor^', /. e., insignificant.] 



I. Adoxa Moschatellina L. Musk- 

 root. Hollow-root. jMoschatel. 

 (Fig. 3470.) 



Adoxa Moschatellina L. Sp. PI. 367. 1753. 



Stems simple, weak, erect, 3'-6' high, 

 bearing a pair of opposite ternate leaves usu- 

 ally above the middle. Basal leaves 1-4, 

 long-petioled, ternately compound, the seg- 

 ments broadly ovate or orbicular, obtuse, 

 thin, 3-cleft or 3-parted, the lobes obtuse and 

 mucronulate; head 3"-4" in diameter, com- 

 posed of 3-6 flowers; corolla of the terminal 

 flower 4-5 lobed, those of the others usually 

 5-6-lobed, drupe green, bearing the persist- 

 ent calyx-lobes above the middle. 



In shaded rocky places, Arctic America, 

 south to Iowa and Wisconsin and in the Rocky 

 Mountains to Colorado. .Mso in northern Eu- 

 rope and Asia. Other English names are Bul- 

 bous Fumitory, Glory-less, Musk Crowfoot or 

 Wood Crowfoot. Odor musky. May. 



Family 37. VALERIANACEAE Batscli, Tabl. Aff. 227. 1802. 



Valkrian Family. 



Herbs with opposite leaves, no stipules, and usuallj^ small perfect or poly- 

 gamo-dioecious flowers, in corj-mbed panicled or capitate cymes. Calyx-tube 

 adnate to the ovary, its limb inconspicuous or none iti flower, often becoming 

 prominent in fruit. Corolla gamopetalous, epigynous, somewhat irregular, its 

 tube narrowed, and sometimes gibbous or spurred at the base, its limb spread- 

 ing, mostly 5-lobed. Stamens 1-4, inserted on the corolla and alternate with its 

 lobes, usually exserted. Ovary inferior, 1-3-celled, one of the cavities contain- 

 ing a single anatropous ovule, the others empty. Fruit indehiscent, dry, con- 

 taining a single suspended seed. Endosperm little or none; embryo straight; 

 cotyledons oblong. 



About 9 genera and 275 species of wide distribution, most abundant in the northern hemisphere. 



Fruit i-celled; persistent calyx-lobes becoming awn-like; tall herbs. i. Valeriana. 



Fruit 3-celled; calyx-lobes minute or none; low herbs. 2. Valerianella. 



I. VALERIANA L. Sp. PL 31. 1753. 



Perennial strong-smelling mostly tall herbs, the leaves mainly basal and the cymose 

 flowers paniculate in our species. Calyx-limb of 5-15 bristle-like plumose teeth, short and 

 inroUed in flower, but elongated, rolled outward and conspicuous in fruit. Corolla funnel- 

 form or tubular, usually more or less gibbous at the base, the limb nearly equally 5-lobed. 

 Stamens commonly 3. Style entire, or minutely 2-3-lobed at the summit. Fruit com- 

 pressed, i-celled, i-nervcd on the back, 3-nerved on the front. [Name Middle Latin, from 

 valere, to be strong.] 



.\bout 175 species, mostly in the temperate and colder parts of the north temperate zone and 

 the Andes of South America. Besides the following, 5 others occur in southern and western North 

 America. 



Corolla-tube very slender, 6"-io" long; basal leaves cordate. i. V. pauciflora. 

 Corolla-tube i"-3" long; basal leaves not cordate. 



Leaves thick, parallel-veined, entire, or the segments not dentate. 2. V. edulis. 

 Leaves thin, reticulate-veined, the segments dentate. 



Lower leaves spatulate, often entire; plant glabrous. 3. V. sylvatica. 



All the leaves pinnately divided; plant pubescent, especially a the nodes. 4. V. officinalis. 



