V AL 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



V AL 



729 



three-stamined ; stem dicliotomous; leaves lanceolate, tooth- 

 ed ; fruit six-toothed ; seed ovate, acuminate, small. Native 

 of the south of France, Italy, Portugal, and Barbary. 



30. Valeriana Radiata. Flowers three-stamined; stem 

 dichotomous; leaves oblong, obtuse; heads involucred; root- 

 leaves succulent, narrow, little gashed, spreading on the 

 ground. Native of Portugal, on the borders of fields. 



31. Valeriana Pumila; Dwarf Corn Salad. Flowers three- 

 stamined ; stem dichotomous ; lower leaves toothed, upper 

 linear, multifid. This small plant is scarcely three inches 

 high. Found in the south of France, about Montpellier. 



Valerian, Greek. See Polemortium. 



Vallisneria; a genus of the class Dioacia, order Diandria. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Male. Calix : common spathe 

 two-parted ; segments oblong, bifid, reflexed ; common spa- 

 dix compressed, covered all over with flowers, digested into 

 a spike. Corolla : one-petalled, three-parted ; tube none ; 

 segments obovate, spreading very much, and bent back. 

 Stamina: filameuta two, upright, length of the corolla; 

 antheree simple. Female, on a different plant. Calix : 

 spathe one-flowered, cylindrical, long, with the mouth bifid, 

 erect; perianth three-parted, spreading, superior ; segments 

 equal, ovate. Corolla : one-petalled, in three deep, linear, 

 abrupt segments, shorter than the calix. Pistil: germen 

 cylindrical, inferior, long ; style scarcely any ; stigma three- 

 parted ; segments semibifid, oval, convex, longer than the 

 calix, spreading, pubescent above. Pericarp: capsule cylin- 

 drical, long, one-celled. Seeds: numerous, ovate, fastened 

 to the side of the capsule. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Male. 

 Spathe: two-parted; spadix covered with flowers. Corolla: 

 three-parted. Female. Spathe: bifid, one-flowered. Peri- 

 anth: three-parted, superior. Corolla: in three deep linear 

 segments. Stigma : three-parted. Capsule : one-celled, 

 many-seeded. The species are, 



1. Vallisneria Spiralis; Two-stammed Vallisneria. Flow- 

 ers two-stamined. This is an aquatic plant, with long thin 

 almost transparent leaves, with parallel nerves and plates 

 dividing it transversely, very finely serrate at the end, and 

 floating on the water. The'male flower is very small and 

 white, and is borne on a very short scape at the bottom of 

 the water: when mature it breaks loose, and floats on the 

 surface. Tho. female flower, which is larger, and purple, 

 grows upon a spiral scape ; it contracts or unfolds accord- 

 ing to the depth of the water, so that the flower when it 

 opens is always at the surface; and when flowering-time is 

 past, the scape contracts, and the fructification is completed 

 at the bottom of the water. The economy of this singular 

 plant is a remarkable confirmation of Linneus's doctrine of 

 the sexes in vegetables. Micheli, who did not admit this 

 doctrine, and considered the male plant not only as a distinct 

 species, but as a different genus from the female, remarks, 

 that it is wonderful in these flowers, that before they open 

 they are separated from the plant, and being raised to the 

 surface, open suddenly with a kind of elastic force, aiid the 

 segments of the petals are bent downwards : in this state 

 they swim at large upon the surface, and during summer and 

 autumn are in such quantities as in some places to whiten 

 the whole surface of the water. The female plant, the same 

 author informs us, is found in such quantities in the great 

 ditches about Pisa, that the roots in some parts occupy the 

 whole bottom, and the leaves cover the surface in such a 

 manner as to impede the passage of the barges along them. 

 Linneus found it in abundance in the rivulets of Finmarch, 

 but did not observe it to flower either there or at Upsal ; it 

 lias occurred in Switzerland, and grows in the Rhone near 

 Grange. 



2. Vallisneria Octandra ; Eight-.itamined Vallisneria. 

 Flowers eight-stamined ; root annual, fibrous. The economy 

 of this species, though something similar, is not so curious 

 as that of the preceding, but the end of impregnation is 

 answered equally. Native of the East Indies, in stagnant 

 shallow sweet water. 



3. Vallisneria Americana ; American Vallisneria. Leaves 

 erect, linear; male and female peduncles straight. Discover- 

 ed byPursh in 1800, in the Delaware, near Philadelphia. It 

 grows at the bottom of muddy and slow-flowing rivers. 



4. Vallisneria Nana; Dwarf Vallisneria. Stalk of the 

 female flowers spiral, capillary; leaves under water, linear, 

 acute, entire. Found in New Holland. 



Vandellia; a genus of the class Didynamia, order Angio- 

 spermia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one- 

 leafed, tubulous, four-parted ; parts subovate, equal, the 

 uppermost subbifid, permanent. Corolla : one-petalled, rin- 

 gent; tube length of the calix; border small, its upper lip 

 ovate, entire, lower dilated, two-lobed. Stamina: filamenta 

 four, two outer from the disk of the lower lip, bpwed upwards, 

 two from the throat higher; antherse ovate, connected by 

 pairs. Pistil: germen oblong; style filiform, length of the 

 stamina; stigmas two, ovate, membranaceous, reflexed. Peri- 

 carp: capsule oblong, one-celled. Seeds: numerous. ESSEN- 

 TIAL CHARACTER. Calix: four-parted. Corolla: ringent. 

 Filamenta: the two outer from the disk of the lip of the co- 

 rolla. Antliera: connected by pairs. Capsule: one-celled, 

 many-seeded. The species are, 



1. Vandellia Diffusa. Leaves roundish, subsessile, smooth 

 above. Stem herbaceous, four-cornered, brachiate; flowers 

 axillary, opposite, solitary. Native of the islands of Mont- 

 serrat and Santa Cruz. 



2. Vandellia Pratensis. Leaves petioled, oblong, acute, 

 crenate. Root annual; stem herbaceous, erect, four-corner- 

 ed, with the corners acute, brachiate ; branches of the same 

 structure; flowers axillary, sessile, small; petioles very short. 

 Found in America, from the island of Trinidad to Brasil, 

 by way-sides. 



Vangueria; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : very small, five- 

 toothed, spreading. Corolla: small, companulate, globular, 

 five-cleft, hairy at the throat. Stamina : five ; with oblong 

 anthene scarcely standing out. Pistil: one; with a bila- 

 mellate stigma. Pericarp : berry inferior, pome-shaped, 

 umbilicate, not crowned, five-celled. Seeds: four or five, 

 like almonds. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: five- 

 toothed. Corolla: tube globular, with a hairy throat. 

 Stigma: bilamellate. Berry: inferior, four or five seeded. 

 The only species yet discovered is, 



1. Vangueria Edulis. Leaves petioled, opposite, ovate, 

 attenuated to both ends, smooth, quite entire; peduncles 

 axillary, three or four times dichotomously branched; flowers 

 pedicelled ; fruit esculent. It is a tree, with round, smooth, 

 opposite branches; supposed to be a native of China or of 

 Madagascar. 



Vanilla. See Epidendrum Vanilla. 



Varnish Tree. See Rhus. 



Varronia; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one- 

 leafed, tubular, with five slender recurved teeth, permanent. 

 Corolla: one-petalled, tubular, cylindric; border five-parted, 

 spreading. Stamina: filamenta five, awl-shaped, length of 

 the corolla; antherte incumbent, oblong. Pistil: germen 

 ovate; style filiform, length of the corolla; stigmas four, 

 bristle-shaped. Pericarp: drupe ovate, one-celled, enclosed 

 by the calix, free. Seed: nut four-celled, roundish. ESSEN- 



