VALERIANACEJi:. 235 



Stem slender, finely striate, hollow, paniculately branched from 

 the base, or in small specimens simple up to the panicle. Leaves 

 4 to 2 inches long, very variable in the degree of division, sometimes 

 all pinnatifid, more generally the intermediate and lower ones lyrate- 

 pinnatifid, lowest of all entire. Panicle at first dense, but becoming 

 lax in fruit ; branches opposite, forked. Corolla pinkish-lilac, 'y^J inch 

 long ; the spur about the middle of the tul)e and very minute ; limb 

 Yo inch across, with 5 narrow segments. Fruit pale-olive, nearly 

 smooth, ^ inch long, oblong-ovoid, flattened from back to front, 

 attenuated towards the apex, with a very faint rib down the back, 

 and 5 stronger ones on the face, which is concave, crowned at the 

 apex with a small neck-like cup on which the plumose pappus is 

 situated. Plant glabrous, pale-green. 



Cut- leaved Valerian. 



French, Centrante Chausse-trappe. 



GENUS II.—V ALERIANA. Zi?m. 



Calyx-limb involute during flowering, afterwards spreading out 

 into a deciduous pappus with numerous plumose rays. Corolla 

 tubular-funnelshaped, with the tube obconic or cylindrical- 

 obconic, equal or gibbous on one side at the base, but not spurred ; 

 limb regular, 5-cleft rarely 3-cleft, with -obtuse lobes. Stamens 3. 

 Pruit 1-celled and 1-seeded, crowned by a plumose pappus. 



Herbs or under-shrubs, with the leaves entire or divided. 

 Plowers white, pink, rarely bluish or yellow, frequently dioecious, 

 sessile, in heads or corymbose cymes sometimes arranged in a 

 panicle, with unilateral branches, generally lengthening into racemes 

 in fruit. 



The derivation of the name of this genus of plants is differently given. It is said 

 by some authors to have been named after Valerius, who first used it in medicine • 

 ■while others derive the name from the word valere, to be in health, on account of its 

 medicinal qualities. 



SPECIES I.— VALERIANA OFFICINALIS. Linn. 



Plate DCLXVI. 

 Kootstock usually stoloniferous. Root-fibres slightly thickened, 

 cylindrical, tapering. Stem erect, deeply striated, glabrous or 

 pubescent towards the base. Leaves all jnunate, with ^i to 10 pair 

 of leaflets ; leaflets ovate-lanceolate or strapshaped, the terminal 

 one not conspicuously larger than the others ; low^r leaves with 

 broader leaflets than the upper ones. Plowers all perfect, in a 

 compound corymbose cyme. Pruit glabrous. 



