V AL 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



V A L 



727 



2. Valeriana Angustifolia; Narrow-leaved Red Valerian. 

 Flowers one stamined, tailed ; leaves linear, quite entire. 

 Root smaller than that of the preceding species ; stems two 

 feet high or more, branching on each side from the root to 

 within six inches of the top. It appears to be distinguished 

 from the common sort by its leaves, which are all uniformly 

 narrow and more obtuse at the extremity. Native of the 

 mountains of France, Switzerland, Italy, and Barbary. 



3. Valeriana Calcitrapa; Cut-leaved Valerian. Flowers 

 one-stamined ; leaves pinnatifid. The stalks of this species 

 in good ground will rise nearly a foot and half high, but only 

 half that height upon dry stony soils, and only three inches 

 when they grow out of the joints of old walls. Corolla small, 

 pale rose colour. Native of the south of France, Italy, Por- 

 tugal, the Levant, and Barbary. It propagates itself by its 

 downy seeds. 



4. Valeriana Dioica ; Smail Marsh Valerian. Flowers 

 three-stamined, dioecious; radical leaves ovate; stem-leaves 

 pinnate. Root perennial, jointed, creeping, the thickness of 

 a crow-quill, white, but sometimes tinged with red ; stems 

 from a span to a foot or a foot and half in height, upright, 

 grooved, smooth ; flowers blush-coloured, in dense, forked, 

 cymose panicles. This species in England seldom fails to 

 be difficious : or if there be any hermaphrodite flowers, they 

 are such in structure only, both organs not being perfect. 

 The roots have the same stnell with the Officinal and Garden 

 Valerian, and have like properties with them, but in a much 

 weaker degree than the former. It flowers in Way and June, 

 and is a native of Europe and the Levant, in wet meadows, 

 marshes, and by the side of ditches and streams. 



5. Valeriana Capensis ; Cape Valerian. Flowers three- 

 stamined; leaves pinnate; leaflets ovate, toothed; stem hairy 

 at the joints. Native of the Cape. 



6. Valeriana Officinalis; Officinal or Great Wild Valerian. 

 Flowers three-stamined ; all the leaves pinnate ; leaflets lan- 

 ceolate, serrate, nearly uniform. Root perennial, composed 

 of long tender fleshy fibres, uniting in heads, and sending out 

 from its crown one or more long extended creeping shoots ; 

 stems in dry ground from one foot to two feet in height, but 

 in woods and hedges, moist ground and gardens, four or five 

 feet high, upright, round, grooved, hollow, in some parts more 

 or less hairy ; terminating in flowering-branches, which are 

 brachiate or disposed crosswise ; flowers numerous, flesh- 

 coloured or white, in large corymbose tufts. The root has a 

 strong, and to most people a disagreeable smell ; its taste is 

 warm, bitterish, and subacrid, communicating its properties to 

 wine, water, and spirit ; but it is best in substance, and may be 

 taken from half a drachm to two drachms for a dose. There 

 is no doubt of its possessing antispasmodic virtues in an emi- 

 nent degree. It is often prescribed with advantage in hyste- 

 rical cases, and instances are not wanting where it appears to 

 have removed some obstinate epilepsies. In habitual costive- 

 ness it is an excellent medicine, and frequently opens the 

 bowels when other stronger purgatives have been tried in vain. 

 The unpleasant flavour of Valerian is best concealed by a small 

 addition of mace. A tincture of the root in proof spirit, and 

 in volatile spirit, are sometimes ordered; and Dr. Cullen says, 

 that if it have sometimes failed, it is from the disease depend- 

 ing upon different causes, or the roots being frequently employ- 

 ed in an improper condition, or in too small doses. Very 

 great effects have been produced by it in hysterical cases; but 

 the root used was procured from dry calcareous pastures, and 

 was given in considerable quantities during a long time. It 

 is well known that cats are very fond of the roots ; rats are 

 also equally partial to it, and hence rat-catchers employ them 

 to draw these vermin together. Native of Europe and Siberia, 



VOL. 11. 126. 



in woods, hedges, marshes, and near rivers: it also grows 

 among bushes in high pastures and on dry heaths, and is 

 then much smaller and more hairy, with the leaves narrower, 

 the roots highly aromatic, and less nauseous, and more valu- 

 able than those produced in gardens. It flowers in June. 

 Propagation and Culture. Part the roots in spring or au- 

 tumn, and plant them upon a dry fresh undunged soil, in 

 which, though the roots will not make near so great progress 

 as in a rich moist soil, yet for use they will be much prefer- 

 able. The roots should be taken up when the leaves decay 

 in autumn, and preserved dry until used. 



7. Valeriana Phu ; Garden Valerian. Flowers three'Sta- 

 mined ; stem-leaves pinnate; root-leaves undivided. Root 

 thick, fleshy, jointed, spreading near the surface in a very 

 irregular manner, crossing each other, and matting together 

 by their small fibres. This differs from the preceding Species 

 in not having the stem grooved, and the outer leaflets being 

 larger than the others. The odour of the flowers is very 

 pleasant, though that of the common sort is very disagreeable, 

 they are copious, and of a pale purplish blush-colour. Their 

 roots, however, have the same smell, taste, and qualities ; 

 only this is inferior for medicine. Cats are also extremely 

 fond of it. Native of Alsace, Silesia, Dauphiny, and Bar- 

 bary, near La Calle. This should be cultivated in the same 

 way as the sixth species. The plants must be set aboui two 

 feet asunder in the beds, as they spread and multiply very fast. 

 In dry seasons water them till they have taken root. 



8. Valeriana Tripteris ; Three-leaved Valerian. Flowers 

 three-stamined ; leaves toothed ; root-leaves cordate ; stem- 

 leaves ternate, ovate-oblong. Grows on the alps of Austria 

 and Switzerland. This and the four following species are 

 difficult to preserve in gardens; as naturally growing on 

 rocks covered with Moss, where the snow continues six or 

 seven months : they therefore require a cold situation and a 

 stony soil. 



9. Valeriana Montana; Mountain Valerian. Flowers 

 three-stamined; leaves ovate-oblong, somewhat toothed; stem 

 simple. This in stature and habit agrees with the preceding 

 species, but is more tufted, and has the root commonly creep- 

 ing horizontally, more divided, and not smelling so strongly. 

 Flowers small, pale flesh-coloured. Native of the mountains 

 of Switzerland, Austria, Carniola, Dauphiny, Piedmont, Sile- 

 sia, and Siberia, flowering there all the summer. 



10. Valeriana Celtica; Celtic Valerian. Flowers three- 

 stamined ; leaves ovate-oblong, obtuse, quite entire. Root 

 perennial, black, oblique, with long fibres, smelling very 

 strong, aromatic, caulescent at top, and scaly with the re- 

 mains of the deciduous leaves ; stem slender, simple, termi- 

 nated by a few small whitish flowers in a corymb. It is a 

 very humble plant, the stalks trailing upon the ground among 

 the moss, and putting out roots at their joints, which swell 

 into knobs or tubers. Native of the alps of Switzerland, 

 Austria, and Carniola. 



11. Valeriana Tuberosa; Tuberous-rooted Valerian. Flow- 

 ers three-stamined ; root-leaves lanceolate, quite entire, the 

 rest pinnatifid. Roots perennial and tuberous, by which it 

 is easily distinguished. There is a variety which has them 

 longer; the plant is larger, and the leaves more cut, and of a 

 cinereous green : the other is greener, smaller, less cut, and 

 the roots in the form of an olive. It flowers in May and 

 June. Native of the south of Europe. 



12. Valeriana Saxatilis ; Rock Valerian. Flowers three- 

 stamined; leaves somewhat toothed; root-leaves ovate; stem- 

 leaves linear-lanceolate. Root perennial, blackish, with nu- 

 merous and long fibres, covered with the remains of leaves ; 

 having the smell and taste of the sixth species, but much 



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