V A L 



V E R 



shaped like the lower ones, but a little pointcJ ; 

 and frequently at the top there are ttrnate leaves 

 standing upon short toot-stalks: the sIliti and 

 b'-anches are terminated by umbels ot pale flesli- 

 colourrd flowers, having very short spurs. It 

 flowers in June, and is a native of the Pyrenees, 



The tenth has a small annual, fibrous, pale 

 bp^wn root : the stem dichotomous, somewhat 

 spreading, from four inches to a span, and even 

 a foot or more in height (in gardens) ; round, 

 grooved, or angular, lender, often tinged with 

 purple on one side : the leaves glaucous, pale, 

 obovate-lanceoiate or rather hnear-tongue- 

 shaped : the bottom leaves many, usually entire, 

 but sometimes very slightly toothed near the 

 base, somewhat spreadmg, rather s.icculent, 

 smooth, veiny, and a little wrinkled, from 

 three-quarters of an inch to two inches in 

 length : the stem-leaves opposite at each subdi- 

 vision, sessile, remote, usually more toothed 

 than the bottom leaves : both these and the stem 

 are ciliate or fringed at the edge with fine white 

 hairs : the flowers are very small, of a pale 

 blueish colour, and cr>llected into a close little 

 corymb, protected by an involucre. It is a na- 

 tive of Europe and Barbary, flowering in Aprd 

 and Mav. It is used in salads in the early spring 

 and winter, under the name of Corn Salad, or 

 Lamb's Lettuce. 



There is a variety, which is smaller, with 

 jagged leaves. 



Cnl/jire. — The two first sorts mav be increased 

 by parting the roots, and planting them out in 

 the autumn or spring season where they are to 

 grow. 



They may also be raised from seed sown at 

 the same times, in the situations where the 

 plants are to grow. 



The third may likewise be raised from seeds, 

 by sowing them as above, without any trouble. 



The fourth may be increased by parting the 

 roots, and planting them out in the autumn on 

 fresh ground where thev are to grow. 



The fifth may be raised in the same way, 

 being allowed good room as it spreads. 



The three following sorts are more difficult to 

 preserve, requiring a stony soil aiid'cold ex- 

 posure. 



The ninth sort may be raised from seeds sown 

 in a moist shadv border soon after they are ripe, 

 managing the plants as in the first sort. 



The last sort, when cultivated for the purpose 

 of salads, should he sown in the latter end of 

 summer, or beginning of autumn, in an open 

 place where it is to grow ; the plants being after- 

 wards thinned out by hoeing, and kept clean 

 from v-eecls; when they will be fit for use very 

 early m the spring while quite young. 



All the sorts except the last may be intro- 

 duced in the borders for the purpose of variety, 

 and most of theiri continue many years. 



The last is used as an early spring salad herb. 



VF:NLJS'S comb. See ScANDix. 



VENUS'S FLY-TRAP. See Dion^ea. 



VENUSS LOOKING-GLASS. See Cam- 

 panula. 



VENUS'S NAVEL-WORT. See Cyno- 



GLOSSUM. 



VERATRUM, a genus containing plants of 

 the hardy herbaceous perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Polysamia 

 Monoecia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Coro7iarke. 



The characters are : that in the hermaphro- 

 dite there is no calyx, unless the corolla be 

 considered as such : the corolla has six petals, 

 ohlonu", lanceolate, thinner at the edge, ser- 

 rate, permanent : the stamina have six awl- 

 shaped filaments, pressing the germs, more 

 spreading at the tips, shorter by half than the 

 corolla : anthers quadrangular : the pistillum has 

 three erect germs, oblong, ending in scarcely 

 apparent styles: stigmas simple, patulous: the 

 pericarpium three capsules, oblong, erect, com- 

 pressed, one-celled, one-valved, gaping in- 

 wards: the seeds many, oblong, blunter at one 

 end, compressed, membranaceous, fastened in. 

 a double row : male flower on the same plant, 

 below the hermaphrodite — the calyx, corolla, 

 and stamina, as in the hermaphrodite; the pis- 

 tillum an indistinct, vain rudiment. 



The species cultivated are : \ . V. alhtnn. 

 White-flowered Veratrum, or While Hellebore; 

 2. V. jugrmn, Dark-flowered Veratrum ; 3. V, 

 luienm, Yellow-flowered Veratrum. 



The first has a perennial root, composed of 

 many thick fibres gathered into a liead : the 

 leaves oblong-ovate, ten inches long, and five 

 broad in the middle, rouiuli d at the end, and 

 having many longitudinal plans; the stems three 

 or four feet high, branching out on every side 

 almost their whole leno;th : under each of these 

 branches is placed a narrow plaited leaf, and 

 these diminish in size as they are near the top 

 of the stem: the branches and principal stem 

 are terminated by spikes of flowers set very close 

 tosielher, of a greenish white or heibaeeons co- 

 lour ; appearing in July. It is a native of Greece. 



The second species has a ])erennial root like 

 the first sort : the leaves are longer and thinner, 

 plaited in like manner, but are of a yellowish 

 green colour, and appear sooner. in the spring: 

 the stalks also rise higher: it has fewer leaves, 

 and does not branch out into so many spikes : 

 the flowers are of a dark red colour, with the 

 petals spread open flat ; appearing almost a 

 3R 2 



