VALERIAN. 367 



The stems are straight, erect, fistular, striated, yellowish green, 

 glabrous or slightly hairy, varying from two to four feet in 

 height. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, distant, decreasing 

 in size towards the summit, usually divided into seven or eight 

 pair of lanceolate serrated leaflets, and an odd one, deeply 

 veined, of a dark green colour above, paler beneath, and bearded 

 at the base. The flowers are disposed in terminal corymbs, 

 which at length become paniculate, with lanceolate, connate, 

 waved, pale bracteae at the base of the peduncles. The limb of 

 the calyx is small and involute during aestivation, but finally 

 expands into a feathery pappus crowning the fruit. The corolla 

 is of a pale flesh colour, funnel-shaped, with a small lateral pro- 

 tuberance at the base ; the limb divided into five obtuse, nearly 

 equal segments. The stamens are three, with subulate fila- 

 ments, longer than the corolla, crowned with roundish-oblong, 

 yellow anthers. The germen is inferior, oblong, supporting a 

 slender style, rather shorter than the filaments, tipped with a 

 trifid bearded stigma. The fruit is smooth, ovate-oblong, pur- 

 plish, crowned with a feathery pappus of ten or twelve rays, 

 and contains a single oblong seed. Plate 45, fig. 2 ; (a) root ; 

 (6) longitudinal section of the flower to show the stamens ; (c) 

 fruit. 



This plant is abundant in moist woods and by the sides of 

 rivers and ditches, and is sometimes found on dry elevated 

 heaths and pastures, flowering in June and July. 



The generic name is derived either from Valerius, who is said 

 to have discovered the virtues of the plant, or more probably 

 from valere, to be in good health, in allusion to its medical 

 properties. This species was for some time regarded as the 

 <pov of Dioscorides, but Sibthorp has proved that to be a dis- 

 tinct plant, which he has named Valeriana Dioscoridis. It is 

 called provincially Capons-tail, Setwall, and All-heal. 



This plant is subject to several variations, which are scarcely sufficient 

 to constitute varieties. The stem is usually glabrous, sometimes hirsute ; 

 the lower leaves are occasionally almost undivided ; the corymbs con- 

 tracted or loose. A sub-variety is found on elevated pastures, in a cal- 

 careous soil, which is seldom more than two feet in height, and has nar- 

 rower leaves than the common kind, than which it is also more aromatic, 

 and is to be preferred for medicinal use. There are two other indigenous 

 species of Valerian; of these the small Marsh Valerian {V. dioica) is by 

 far the most common, and is distinguished by its dioecious flowers, ovate- 



