3426 



VALERIANA 



VALERIANA 



before anthesis not conspicuous, after flowering 

 divided into 5-15 plumose-ciliate setae; corolla-tube 

 attenuate at base, limb 5-cleft; stamens 3, rarely by 

 abortion 1 or 2: fr. a compressed achene with the rear 

 face 1-nerved, the front face 3-nerved. About 265 

 species, mostly in the temperate and colder regions of 

 the northern hemisphere but a few in the tropics and 

 in the extra-tropical regions of the southern hemisphere. 

 The valerians in the American trade are hardy per- 

 ennials of easiest culture. Only V. officinalis is well 

 known. This is one of the characteristic plants of old 

 gardens, being prized for the spicy fragrance of its 

 numerous flowers in spring. It spreads rapidly from 

 suckers arising from the roots, soon forming large 

 colonies. The common species are often grown from 

 seeds. V. alba and V. rubra of the trade are no doubt 

 Centranthus ruber. 



alba, 7. 

 alliariif olia, 2. 

 alpestris, 5. 

 alpina, 5. 

 arizonica, 10. 

 aurea, 11. 



INDEX. 



ceratophylla, 3. 

 dioica, 6. 

 edulis, 1. 

 excelsa, 8. 

 montana, 4. 

 officinalis, 7. 



Phu, 11. 

 pyrenaica, 12. 

 rubra, 7. 

 sambudfolia, 8. 

 sitchensis, 9. 



A. Rootstock perpendicular, branching below. 



1. edulis, Nutt. Perennial, 2-4 ft. high, glabrous or 

 nearly so : rootstock perpendicular, fusiform, branching 

 below: Ivs. thickish, not serrate, slightly pubescent; 

 radical oblanceolate to spatulate, entire or some spa- 

 ringly laciniate-pinnatifid, tapering into a margined 

 petiole; cauline rarely none, commonly 1-3 pairs, ses- 

 sile and pinnately parted into 3-7 linear or lanceolate 



divisions, the termi- 

 nal one spatulate : fls. 

 polygamous - d i ce c i - 

 pus, yellowish white, 

 in an elongated 

 panicle. Ohio to Ariz, 

 and Brit. Col. in wet 

 or moist lands. The 

 roots are eaten by 

 Indians. 



2. alliariifdlia,Vahl. 

 Perennial, glabrous, 

 erect: rhizome thick 

 and branched : st. 

 tall, sulcate : radical 

 and lower Ivs. long- 

 petioled, broadly cor- 

 date, coarsely toothed 

 or repand; upper 

 smaller, sessile or sub- 

 sessile, cordate - tri- 

 angular: corymb 

 terminal, compound: 

 fls. clustered, pink: 

 fr. glabrous. E. Eu. 

 and W. Asia. 



AA. Rootstock turnip- 

 shaped. 



3. ceratophylla, 

 HBK. Perennial, gla- 

 brous, sparingly 

 leafy, up to about 16 

 in. high : rootstock 

 turnip-shaped: st. 

 herbaceous, terete, 

 striate: Ivs. pinnati- 

 sect; segms. trifid- 

 hastate, sessile; divi- 

 sions linear, acumi- 

 nate: corymb termi- 

 nal, dichotomous: fls. 



3896. Garden heliotrope. Valeriana snow-white: fr. 



officinalis. (XH) pubescent. Mex. 



AAA. Rootstock horizontal or ascending, with small 



fibrous roots. 

 B. St.-lvs. not compound or lobed, but sometimes dentate. 



4. montana, Linn. Perennial, glabrous or nearly so, 

 about 1 ft. high: rhizome slender, many-branched: Ivs. 

 entire or dentate; those of the sterile young shoots and 

 the lowest ovate-rotundate or ovate, subcordate, rather 

 long-petioled; cauline lys. triangular-oblong, acute or 

 acuminate; uppermost linear-lanceolate : corymb termi- 

 nal, compound or simple : fls. bright rose, dioecious. Eu. 

 and Caucasus. L.B.C. 4:317. 



BB. St.-lvs. (at least the lower ones) pinnate or 



pinnately lobed. 

 c. Fls. dioecious or polygamous. 



5. alpestris, Stev. (F. alpina, Adams). Perennial, 

 glabrous, about 6 in. high: rhizome horizontal, short, 

 slightly branched: radical and lower Ivs. ovate-oblong, 

 repand-dentate ; intermediate Ivs. acuminate, subsessile, 

 unequally 2-3-parted or often undivided; uppermost 

 linear, small : corymb terminal, clustered and head-like : 

 fls. pink; ovary glabrous. Caucasus region. 



6. dioica, Linn. MARSH VALERIAN. Perennial, 

 rather glabrous, about 1-2 ft. high: rhizome slender, 

 stoloniferous, long-creeping: lower lys. and those of the 

 sterile shoots ovate-subcordate, elliptic or spatulate, 

 entire, rather long-petioled; cauline lower lyrate-pin- 

 nate-parted; upper pinnatisect with linear segms. in 

 3-5 pairs: corymb terminal: fls. dioecious, pale rose- 

 color, the sterile fls. larger. Moist soil. Eu. 



cc. Fls. hermaphrodite. 



D. Radical Irs. (at least some of them) pinnatisect or 

 pinnate. 



7. officinalis, Linn. COMMON VALERIAN. GARDEN 

 HELIOTROPE. CAT'S VALERIAN. ST. GEORGE'S HERB. 

 Fig. 3896. Perennial, glabrous or more or less pubescent 

 below, 2-5 ft. high: rhizome truncate, sometimes 

 stoloniferous: sts. erect, simple below, somewhat 

 branching above, sulcate: Ivs. all pinnatisect; segms. 

 7-10-paired, usually dentate-serrate, those of the lower 

 Ivs. ovate-oblong, of the upper Ivs. lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate: corymb broadly paniculate, long-branched: fls. 

 numerous, whitish, pinkish or lavender, very fragrant. 

 Eu., N. Asia. G.W. 12, p. 472. Variable. The medi- 

 cinal valerian is obtained mostly from the roots of this 

 species. Var. alba, Hort., is a white-fld. form. Var. 

 rftbra, Hort., is a red-fld. form. 



8. excelsa, Poir. (V. sambiicifolia, Mikan). Perennial, 

 with long runners ending in rosettes: st. channelled, 

 glabrous: Ivs. pinnate; Ifts. 3-5 pairs, coarse serrate or 

 serrate-dentate, rarely entire, terminal 1ft. largest: 

 inn. rather crowded: fls. reddish or white, rather larger 

 than V. officinalis. Eu. Gn. 67, p. 3. 



9. sitchensis, Bong. Perennial, 1 ft. or less high: 

 rootstock ascending, thick : radical Ivs. ovate or oblong, 

 simple or somewhat lobed; cauline Ivs. short-petioled, 

 3-5-foliate, divisions or Ifts. orbicular to oblong-ovate 

 or in the upper ones ovate-lanceolate: fls. white, very 

 fragrant, in contracted cymes; corolla funnelform, 

 about 3/gin. long. Rocky Mts. to Alaska. G.F. 9:515. 

 A very early bloomer. 



OD. Radical Ivs. entire or merely dentate. 



10. arizonica, Gray. Perennial, glabrous, 6 in. high: 

 rhizome creeping, rather thick: sts. erect: lys. succulent, 

 basal ovate, entire or nearly so, 1 in. long, intermediate 

 few, long-petioled, 2-4-lobed; cauline subsessile, 3-5- 

 parted: cyme glomerate-congested: fls. whitish or 

 pinkish ; corolla j^in. long, tubular broadened gradually. 

 Ariz. G.C. III. 29:198. G.W. 12, p. 102. 



11. Phft, Linn. Perennial, glabrous or pilose, not so 

 tall as V. officinalis: rhizome inclined, simple, fusiform: 

 st. stout, tall, simple or slightly and shortly branched: 

 radical Ivs. ovate-oblong, long-petioled, entire or at base 



