182 VALERIANE&. [VALERIAXELL.Y. 



cell of fruit corky on the back, empty ones contiguous or confluent, calyx- 

 limb obsolete. Valeriana Locusta, L. in part. LamUs Lettuce. 

 Cornfields and hedgebanks ; a native ? Watson ; fl. April-June. Glabrous, 

 flaccid, brittle, 6-12 in. Leaves 1-3 in., linear-oblong, or oblong-lanceolate, 

 quite entire or toothed, cauline ^-amplexicaul. Flown, minute, pale lilac ; 

 bracts linear, ciliate. Fruit minute, glabrous or hairy. DISTRIB. Europe, 

 N. Africa, W. Asia ; introd. into N. America. An excellent salad. 

 V. CARINA'TA, Loisel ; cymes capitate, fruit oblong boat-shaped, fertile 

 cell not corky, empty cells contiguous inflated, calyx-limb indistinct. 

 Cultivated ground, &c. from Yorkshire southwards, naturalized ; fl. April- 

 June. Probably a variety of F. olitoria, which it resembles in all characters, 

 save those of the fruit given above. DISTRIB. Europe from Holland 

 southwards, N. Africa, W. Asia. . 



2. V. Auric'ula, DC. ; cymes lax, fruit broadly ovoid turgid narrowly 

 grooved in front, fertile cell not corky, empty cells contiguous inflated, 

 calyx with one large unilateral lobe. F. tridentata, Stev. 



Cornfields, rare, from Fife southwards, and in Ireland ; a colonist, Wntxim ; 

 fl. June-Aug. Very similar in size, habit, and foliage to F. n/it<n-i<t, but 

 more slender, inflorescence different, and fruit widely so. DISTRIB. Europe 

 from Holland southwards, W. Asia. 



3. V. denta'ta, Poll. ; cymes lax, fruit narrow-ovoid slightly com- 

 pressed, fertile cell not corky, empty cells remote slender on one side 

 of the fruit, calyx with one large unilateral lobe. V. Morisonii, DC. 

 Cornfields, &c. from Moray and Lanark southwards, and in Ireland ; a colonist, 



Watson; fl. June-Aug. Habit, &c. of V. Auricula. Floiws flesh-coloured. 

 DISTRIB. Europe from Gothland southwards, N. Africa, N.W. India. 

 VAB. mix'ta, Deaf . (sp. ) ; fruit hispid. F. eriocarjM, R. and S. not Desv. 



ORDER XLI. DIPSACEJE. 



Perennial or biennial herbs. Leaves opposite, rarely wliorlecl, exstipu- 

 late. Flowers small, capitate ; outer bracts involucriform ; inner or 

 beneath the flowers ; bracteoles forming an involucel embracing the calyx- 

 tube and enclosing the fruit. Calyx superior, suddenly expanding into a 

 cup-shaped, entire, lobed, or ciliate limb. Corolla-tube funnel-shaped or 

 cytindric, often curved ; lobes 4-5, obtuse, imbricate in bud, the larger or 

 anterior overlapping. Stamens 4, inserted on the corolla-tube ; filaments 

 filiform, free, often unequal, incurved in bud, exserted ; anthers versa- 

 tile. Ovary 1-celled ; style filiform, stigma simple oblique or notched ; 

 ovule solitary, pendulous from the top of the cell, anatropous. Fruit 

 indehiscent, surrounded by the hardened and grooved involucel, and 

 often crowned by the calyx-limb. Seed pendulous, testa membranous, 

 albumen fleshy ; embryo axile, straight, cotyledons broad flat, radicle short. 

 DISTRIB. Chiefly Oriental ; genera 6 ; species 150. AFFINITIES. With 

 Composite. PROPERTIES unimportant. 



Floral bracts spinescent exserted, covering the head 1 . Dipsacus. 



Floral bracts concealed, scale-like or 2. Scabiosa. 



