V A L 



V E R 



shaped like the lower ones, but a little pointed ; 

 and frequently at the top there are temate leaves 

 Standing upon short foot-stalks: the item and 

 tranches are terminated 1>\ umbels of pale llesh- 

 coloimd flowers, having verv short spurs. It 

 flowers in June, and is a native uf the 1'vrenees. 



The tenth has a small annual, fibrous, pale 

 bn-wn root : the stem dichotoinous, somewhat 

 spreading, from tour inches to a span, and even 

 a root or more in height (in gardens) ; round, 

 grooved, or ansrular, tender, often tinged with 

 porple on one side : the leaves glaucous, pale, 

 obovate- lanceolate or rather linear-tongue- 

 shaped : the bottom leaves many, usually entire, 

 but sometimes very slightly toothed near the 

 base, somewhat spreading, rather succulent, 

 smooth, veiny, and a little wrinkled, from 

 three-quarters of an inch to two inches in 

 length : the stem-leaves opposite at each subdi- 

 vision, sessile, remote, usually more toothed 

 than the bottom leaves: both these and the stem 

 are ciliate or fringed at the edge with fine white 

 hairs: the flowers are very small, ot a pale 

 blueish colour, and collected into a close little 

 corymb, protected by an involucre. It is a na- 

 tive of Europe and Karbarv, flowering in April 

 and Mav. It is us d in salads in the early spring 

 and winter, under the name of Corn Salad, or 

 Lamb's Lettuce. 



There is a variety, which is smaller, with 

 jagged leaves. 



Culture. — The two first sorts mav be increased 

 bv parting the roots, aud planting them out in 

 the autumn or spring season where they are to 

 grow. 



They may also be raised from seed sown at 

 ' the same times, in the situations where the 

 plants are to grow. 



The third may likewise be raised from seeds, 

 by sowing them as above, without any trouble. 



The fourth mav be increased by parting the 

 roots, and planting them out in the autumn on 

 fresh ground where thev are to grow. 



The filth may be raised in the same way, 

 beinir allowed good room as it spreads. 



The three following sorts are more difficult to 

 preserve, requiring a stony soil and cold ex- 

 posure. 



The ninth sort mav be raised from seeds sown 

 in a moist shadv border soon after they are ripe, 

 managing the plants as in the first soft. 



The last sort, when cultivated for the purpose 

 ©f salads, should he sown in the latter end of 

 summer, or beginning of autumn, in an open 

 place where it is to grow ; the plants being after- 

 wards thinned out by hoeing, and kept clean 

 from weeds; when they will be lit for use very 

 early ID the spring while quite young. 



All the sorts except the last mav be inrro- 

 duced in the borders tor the purpose of variety. 

 and most of them continue many years. 



The last is used at an < nlv spring salad herb 



VENUS'S COMB. See Scamoix. 



\ I IN UK'S FLY- THAI'. See Dion.*a. 



VENUS'S LOOKING-GLASS. See Cam- 

 panula. 



VENUS'S NAVEL-WORT. See Cvno. 



GLOSSOM. 



YERATRUM, a genus containing plants of 

 the hardy herbaceous perennial kind." 



It belongs to the class and order Polygamta 

 Monoec/a, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Coronarice. 



The characters are : that in the hermaphro- 

 dite there is no calyx, unless the corolla be 

 considered as such: the corolla has six petals, 

 oblong, lanceolate, thinner at the edge, ser- 

 rate, permanent : the stamina have six awl- 

 shaped filaments, pressing the germs, more 

 spreading at the tips, shorter by half than the 

 corolla: anthers quadrangular : the pistillum has 

 three erect germs, oblong, ending in scarcely 

 apparent styles: stigmas simple, patulous: the 

 pericarpium three C3psules, oblong, erect, com- 

 pressed, one-celled, one-valved, gaping in- 

 wards: the seeds many, oblong, blunter at one 

 end, compressed, membranaceous, fastened in 

 a double row : male flower on the same plant, 

 below the hermaphrodite — the calyx, corolla, 

 and stamina, as in the hermaphrodite: the pis- 

 tillum an indistinct, vain rudiment. 



The species cultivated are: 1. V. all urn, 

 White-flowered Veratrum, or While Hellebore; 

 2. V. nigrum, Dark-flowered Ycratrum ; 3. V. 

 lull tun, Yellow-flowered Veratrum. 



The first has a perennial root, composed of 

 many thick fibres gathered into a head : the 

 leaves oblong-ovate, ten inches long, and live- 

 broad in the middle, roundi d at the end, and 

 having many longitudinal plaits : the stems three 

 or four feet high, branching out on every side 

 almost their whole length: under each of these 

 branches is placed a narrow plaited leaf, and 

 these diminish in size as they are near the top 

 of the stem: the branches and principal stem 

 are terminated by spikes of Bowers set vary close 

 together, of a.greenish white of herbaceous co- 

 lour; appearing in July. It is a native of Greece, 



The second species has a perennial root like 

 the tii-t sort : the leaves arc lunger anJ thinner, 

 plaited in like manner, but are of a yellowish 

 green colour, and appear sooner in the spring: 

 tin- stalks also rise higher: it has fewet l< 



and does not branch out into so many Spikes-: 

 the Sowers are of a dark red colour, with the 

 petals spread open flat; appearing almost ■> 

 3 R 2 



