270 ODOROGRAPHIA. 



root submitted to distillation by Kemp & Co. (1890)* yielded 

 fifteen ounces of a pale yellow oil and a faintly acid distillate.f 

 " A fine violet or bluish colour is produced, as with oil of valerian, 

 by mixing a drop or two of the oil with about 20 drops of carbon 

 disulphide and a drop of strong nitric acid. With sulphuric acid 

 the oil gives a reddish-brown coloration. On boiling, the oil 

 acquires a darker hue and a greenish fluorescence." 



Valeriana Wallichii, D.C., Mem. Valer., p. 15, t. 4 ; D.C. prodr., 

 iv., 640 ; Wall. PL As. Ear., iii., 40 ; Syn. V. mllosa, Wall. Cat.,' 

 433 ; V. Jatamansi, Jones, in As. Kes., ii., fig. at p. 405 ; Eoxb. in 

 As. Ees., iv., p. 433 ; Fl. Ind., i., 163 (see Eoyle, 111., p. 243, 

 correcting Jones and Eoxburgh's mistake) ; V. spica, Vahl. Enum., 

 ii., p. 13, is an inhabitant of the temperate Himalaya, from 

 Kashmir to Bhotan at altitudes of 10,000 feet, and the Khasia 

 mountains at altitudes of 4,000 feet, and is distributed in 

 Afghanistan. As described in Hooker's Flora of British India, iii., 

 p. 213, "the root-stock is horizontal, thick, with thick descending 

 fibres. Stem 6 to 18 inches, often decumbent below, very rarely 

 divided. Eadical leaves often 1 to 3 inches diameter, deeply 

 cordate, usually acute and toothed. Corymb 1 to 3 inches in 

 diameter, not very lax even in fruit ; bracteoles oblong-linear, as 

 long as the fruit. The typical large form of this, with acute, 

 toothed radical leaves and pilose fruits, is easily separable from F. 

 ;pyrolcefolia ; but there are smaller examples, with the radical 

 leaves elliptic, entire, the fruits nearly glabrous, which are very 

 near V. 'pyrola^folia. 



It does not appear to be a proven fact that F. WallicMi D. C, 

 is a distinct species from V. HardwicUi of Wallich and DonJ 

 (Wallich's post-scriptum observation to this last description by 

 Eoxburgh is worded thus : — " The flowers and seeds seem like those 

 of F. Jatamansi, but in regard to the root and leaves the two 

 plants differ widely." It is also to be remarked that Don avers 

 the V. HarchuicUi to be the plant described and figured by Sir 

 William Jones as spikenard in the Asiatic Eesearches, ii., p. 403, 

 ■which description and figure is above accounted for as pertaining 



* Dymock, Pharmacographia Indica, ii,, p. 237. 



t It is presumed they mean the aqueous portion of the distillate. 



X Hardw. in As. Ees. vi., p. S50, with a figure; Don. Prodr. FI. Nep., 

 p. 159 ; Wall. PI. As. Ear., iii, t. 263 ; Eoxb. PI. Ind. i., p. 166. 



