70 POLEMONIUM REPTANS. CREEPING GREEK VALERIAN. 



Phlox and PolcmoJiunn. Polcnioniiun is readily distinguished 

 from Phlox by its bell-shaped corolla, while, as is well known, 

 the Phlox has its corolla mainly as a long slender tube. 



In regard to the history of the name, Polemoniiim, the student 

 may have some ground to complain of the text-books, as they 

 so often have had to complain in similar cases. A French author 

 of the last century says: " Pliny tells us that many kings disputed 

 the honor of having found the polemonum, which gave to the 

 plant the name of Polemon, signifying war ; " and Sir William J. 

 Hooker tells us that " it was named from polemos, luar, accord- 

 ing to Pliny this plant having caused a war between two kings 

 who laid claim to its discovery." The explanations read 

 as if " this plant," Polemonmm ca^ruleiuu being in question, was 

 the plant the "two" kings or the "many" kings fought over; 

 but the plant is not a native of Greece, nor is it probable that 

 Pliny had any knowledge whatever of " this plant," and it is much 

 better when inquiring why Tournefort called the plant Poleuio- 

 niinn, to say with Dr. Gray in the " Manual" "an ancient name 

 of doubtful application." And in his more recent " Synoptical 

 Flora of North America," he even suggests that it is more prob- 

 able Tournefort had in his mind to commemorate Polemon, the 

 celebrated Athenian scholar, who succeeded Xenocrates in his 

 famous school. 



The common name, Greek Valerjan, is more easily traced. In 

 older times, when the structure of plants was not well under- 

 stood, groups were formed according to their external resem- 

 blances. There is much in the habit of the genus to suggest the 

 Valerian, and thus we find them in the writings of the old botan- 

 ists. Doedens, who wrote in 1616, calls it W^leriana grcrca, and 

 Bauhin, thirty years later, Valeriana cwrulca, though he takes 

 occasion to remark that it " has nothing in common with the 

 Valerian, except something in the shape of the leaves." Finally 

 taken from the Valerians, and given a separate name, Polejiwniuni, 

 by Tournefort, we can at least see exacdy how it came by the 

 name of Greek Valerian. 



