VALERIANACE^. 239 



lobes decreasing in size towards the base, and a terminal oval or 

 elliptical one conspicuously larger than the others ; upper stem- 

 leaves similar, but with the lobes more nearly equal in size. Flowers 

 dioecious, the male flowers in a rather lax corymbose cyme, the 

 female in a very compact one. Fruit glabrous. 



In wet meadows and bogs. Rather scarce, but generally dis- 

 tributed in England and the South of Scotland, not extending 

 North of the counties of Fife and Dumbarton. 



England, Scotland. Perennial. Early Summer. 



Rootstock slender, extensively creeping, and emitting numerous 

 stolons terminating in tufts of leaves. Flowering stem curved 

 at the base, then erect, 6 to 18 inches high, hairy at the nodes. 

 Leaves very variable in shape, but generally the lower ones are 

 spathulate, and the upper ones lyrate-pinnatifid. Corymb rather 

 few-flowered, with opposite trichotomous branches, and sometimes 

 a pair of branches below the main corymb ; male flowers flesh- 

 colour, J inch across ; female flowers much smaller and deeper in 

 colour, in corymbs all collected into a terminal head. Bracts strap- 

 shaped. Fruit scarcely ^ inch long, lanceolate-ovoid, compressed, 

 with a single rib on the back, 3 on the face, and 1 down each side. 

 Pappus with the main ribs purple. Plant yellowish-green, nearly 

 glabrous, except at the nodes and margins of the leaves, which are 

 hairy. 



Small Marsh Valerian. 



French, VaUriane J)io'ique. German, Kleiner Bcddrian. 



This species of Valerian is often used to adulterate the true Valerian, but is not 

 possessed of the same active properties. 



GENUS III.—V ALERIANELLA. Tournef. 



Calyx-limb generally irregular, of 1 to 6 teeth, not spreading out 

 into a pappus in fruit. Corolla funnel-shaped ; tube not spurred at 

 the base ; limb 5-lobed with the lobes blunt. Stamens 3. Fruit 

 3-celled, two of the cells empty, the third with a single seed. 



Annual herbs with dichotomous stems, and entire or pinnatifid 

 leaves. Flowers in cymose bracteated heads, lilac or white. 



The name of this genus of plants is simply a diminutive of Valeriana. 



