CLASSIFICATION OF ANGIOSPERMS. 707 



cylindrical, 10 to 20 cm. long, 10 to 15 mm. in diameter, with 

 numerous cup-shaped stem-scars, and coarse, spreading roots ; 

 it is rather hard and tough, and has a bitter, nauseous taste. 

 Triosteum contains an emetic alkaloid, triosteine, and considerable 

 starch. The seeds of Triosteum perfoliatum are sometimes roasted 

 and employed like coffee, the plant being known as Wild coffee. 

 The roots and stems of the following plants are sometimes 

 employed: The Snowberry (Symphoricarpos racemosus), the 

 Bush honeysuckle (Diervilla Lonicera}, and various species of 

 Lonicera, these being also known as honeysuckles. 



VII. ORDER VALERIANALES OR AGGREGATE. 



The plants are mostly herbs with an inferior ovary, which is 

 either unilocular with a single pendulous ovule, or tri-locular 

 with frequently but a single anatropous ovule. 



a. VALERIANACE^E OR VALERIAN FAMILY. The 

 plants are herbs with opposite, exstipulate leaves, small, perfect, 

 or polygamo-dicecious flowers, occurring in corymbs. The fruit 

 is dry, indehiscent, and achene-like. The calyx is persistent, be- 

 coming elongated and plumose, and resembling the pappus in the 

 Compositae. 



Valeriana officinalis (Garden or Wild valerian) is a tall, peren- 

 nial herb, more or less pubescent at the nodes. The leaves are 

 mostly basal, pinnately parted into seven or more segments, which 

 are lanceolate, entire, or dentate. The flowers are white or pink 

 and arranged in corymbed cymes. The calyx is much reduced, 

 consisting of 5 to 15 pinnately branched teeth (pappus) ; the 

 corolla is tubular, somewhat sac-like on one side, but not spurred 

 as in other members of this family ; the stamens are 3 in number 

 and adnate to the corolla tube ; the stigma is 3-lobed. The fruit is 

 ovoid, glabrous, and with a conspicuous plumose pappus. The 

 rhizome and roots are official. 



The young leaves of several species of Valerianella are used 

 as a salad and are cultivated like spinach, as the European corn- 

 salad (V. olitoria), which is also cultivated to some extent in 

 the United States. 



b. DIPSACACE^: OR TEASEL FAMILY. The plants are 

 annual or perennial herbs, chiefly indigenous to the Old World. 



