RUBIACE^E. CCXXVIII. CALYSPHYRUM. VALERIANEjE. 



665 



toothed at the apex, downy beneath. Tj . S. Native of moun- 

 tain woods, about Caraccas. 



Red-mooded Sickingia. Tree or shrub. 



2 S. LONGIFOLIA (Willd. 1. c.) leaves oblong-ovate, quite 

 entire, glabrous, fj . S. Native along with the preceding. 



Long-leaved Sickingia. Tree. 



Cult. See Psychotria, p. 599. for culture and propagation. 



CCXXVIII. CALYSPHY'RUM (from icaXv, kalyx, a calyx, 

 and <r<j>vpov, sphyron, a little hammer ; the calyx is like a pedun- 

 cle). Bunge, in mem. acad. mss. Petersb. 2. p. 107. 



LIN. SYST. Tetrdndria, Monogynia. Tube of calyx linear- 

 pentagonal, adnate to the ovarium, 10-striped ; limb subcam- 

 panulate, profoundly 5-lobed ; segments lanceolate, equal, acute, 

 erect, deciduous. Corolla superior, funnel-shaped, about equal 

 in length to the calycine segments ; throat wide, glabrous ; limb 

 ample, spreading, 5-parted ; segments roundish, imbricate in 

 aestivation : the fifth one a little smaller than the rest. Stamens 

 5, inserted in the bottom of the tube of the corolla, and alternat- 

 ing with its segments. Anthers linear-oblong, 2-celled, dehis- 

 cing at each side by a longitudinal chink. Ovarium inclosed in 

 the tube of the calyx, 2-celled, many-ovulate. Style filiform, 

 exserted ; stigma peltate. Capsule 2-celled ; cells many-seeded. 

 Seeds disposed in 2 rows in each cell, inserted in the dissepi- 

 ment, imbricated, compressed. Perhaps the genus is more 

 nearly allied to Lobeliticece than to Rubiacece. 



I C. FLO'RIDUM (Bunge, 1. c.) leaves opposite, almost sessile, 

 oblong, acuminated, toothed ; flowers 2-4, sessile, terminating 

 the branches ; corollas grumose. I? . G. Native of China, in 

 gardens. Flowers size and form of those of Rhododendron Dau- 

 ricum. 



Flmvery Calysphyrum. Shrub. 



Cult, See Pomax, p. 662. for culture and propagation. 



I 1 Genera referred to Rubiacece by authors, but do not belong 

 to the order. 



Bellonia, Lin. belongs to Solanece ; and Gcertnera, Lam., 

 Usteria, Willd., Pagamia, Aubl. belongs to Logdnece. 



ORDER CXXXI. VALERIA'NE^E (this order contains plants 

 agreeing with Valeriana in important characters). D. C. fl. fr. 4. 

 p. 237. propr. med. ed. 2. p. 175. coll. mem. vii. t. 5. Dufres. 

 diss. val. 4to. 1811. Kunth in Desv. journ. 1814. vol. 2. p. 171. 

 et nov. gen. amer. 3. p. 322. Cham, et Schlecht. in Linnaea. 4. 

 p. 129. D. C. prod. 4. p. 423. Genera of Dipsacese, Juss. 

 Valeriana, Lin. gen. no. 44. 



Tube of calyx adnate to the ovarium ; limb variable in the 

 different genera, sometimes toothed or parted, sometimes going 

 away in pappus, which is at first involute, and at length ex- 

 panded. Corolla tubularly funnel-shaped, usually 5-lobed, 

 rarely 3-4-lobed ; lobes obtuse ; tube equal or gibbous, or 

 spurred at the base. Stamens adnate to the tube of the corolla, 

 but free at the apex, alternating with its lobes when they are 

 equal in number, but varying in number in the different ge- 

 nera from 1 to 5. Anthers ovate, 2-celled. Style filiform ; 

 stigmas 2-3, free, or combined in one. Fruit membranous or 

 subnucumentaceous, indehiscent, crowned by the limb of the 

 calyx in the younger state ; sometimes 3-celled, in this case 2 of 

 the cells are vacant ; sometimes only 1 -celled. Seed in the fer- 

 tile cell or solitary fruit, pendulous, exalbuminous. Embryo 

 straight, with a superior radicle, and 2 flat cotyledons Annual 



VOL. III. 



or perennial herbs, very rarely woody at the base. Roots of 

 the perennial species thickish, intensely sweet-scented ; of the 

 annual species slender, white, and inodorous. Leaves oppo- 

 site, exstipulate, different in diverse species, and in the same 

 plant. In the latter case the lower ones are usually entire, and 

 the superior ones are laciniated. Flowers disposed in cymose 

 corymbs, usually hermaphrodite, very rarely dioecious by abor- 

 tion, usually furnished with from 1-3 bracteas, white, rose-co- 

 loured or bluish, but in the genus Nardoslachys they are purple, 

 and in Patrinia yellow. 



The plants contained in this order are more interesting for 

 the sake of their symmetry and neatness than on account of any 

 particular attractions ; they may be considered a connecting 

 link between Rubiacece and Dipsacece. Most of them are 

 pretty. The Valerianellas are useful esculents, known under 

 the name of corn salads ; Centranthus ruber is also eaten in 

 the same way in Sicily. Their medicinal properties are of 

 a decisive character. The roots of Valeriana qfficinalis, Phu, 

 Celtica, and others are bitter, tonic, aromatic, antispasmodic, 

 and vermifugal ; they are occasionally used as febrifuges. 

 The odour of valerian is not generally agreeable, but eastern 

 nations procure from the mountains of Austria the roots of 

 Valeriana Celtica, with which they perfume their baths; and 

 the natives of India at this day employ the Nardostachys, the 

 spikenard of old times, as a perfume, and against hysterics and 

 epilepsy. 



Synopsis of the genera. 



1 PATRI'NIA. Limb of calyx slightly 5-toothed. Corolla re- 

 gular, bluntly 5-lobed. Stamens 4, rarely 5. Stigma capitate, 

 trigonal. Capsule 3-celled. 



2 NARDO'STACHYS. Limb of calyx 5-parted : lobes slightly 

 denticulated. Corolla regular, bluntly 5-lobed, with a bearded 

 throat. Stamens 4. Stigma capitate. Capsule 3-celled. 



3 DUFRE'SNIA. Limb of calyx 3-parted ; lobes serrated. 

 Corolla obconical, 5-lobed. Stamens 3. Fruit membranous, in- 

 dehiscent, very villous, 3-celled. 



4 VALERIANE'LLA. Limb of calyx toothed. Corolla regu- 

 lar, 5-lobed. Stamens 3. Stigma almost undivided or trifid. 

 Fruit 3-celled, rather membranous, indehiscent, sometimes with 

 2 of the cells fertile. 



5. ASTRE'PHIA. Limb of calyx 5-toothed. Corolla funnel- 

 shaped, 5-lobed, gibbous on one side at the base. Stamens 3. 

 Style trifid at the apex. Fruit 2-celled. 



6 FE'DIA. Limb of calyx with 4 unequal subulate lobes (f. 

 113. c.). Corolla filiform, with an unequally 5-lobed subrin- 

 gent limb (f. US./.). Stamens 2 (f. 113. //.). Stigma bifid 

 (f. 113. g.). Fruit spongy (f. 113. 6.), indehiscent, S-celled. 



7 PLECTRITIS. Limb of calyx entire. Corolla gibbous at the 

 base in front from a short spur, with a 5-lobed bilabiate limb. 

 Stamens 3. Capsule cartilaginous, 1 -celled, 2-winged. 



8 CENTRA'NTHUS. Limb of calyx involute at the time of 

 flowering (f. 114. 6.), but afterwards evolute and deciduous, of 

 many-feathered bristles (f. 114. A.). Corolla with a narrow 



tube, which is spurred at the base (f. 114. c.), and a regular 5- 

 4Q" 



