127 



Valerian Order. ( Valerlaneae). Herbs of temperate CASE 



climates, often aromatic or strong-scented. 67. 



No. 321. Spikenard {Nardostachys Jatamansi, 

 DC). A x)lant of the Himalayas, the rootstock has been 

 highly valued in India from a remote period as a per- 

 fume. 



Observe specimens of VALERIAN ROOTS (Valeriana 

 ({(ficinalis^ L.), a perennial herb common in this country, 

 and widel}^ distributed in Europe and in Asia, as far 

 as Japan. Valerian is an antispasmodic cultivated for 

 medical use near Chesterfield in Derbyshire, in Holland, 

 and in the United States of America. 



Teazle Order {Bipsaceae), A small group of plants 

 destitute of important properties, having numerous flowers 

 collected into dense heads, from which in some species the 

 flower-leaves (bracts) project in pointed or hooked pro- 

 cesses, as in 



No. 322. Fuller's Teazle {Blpsacus falloiium, 

 L.). Cultivated in Yorkshire and on the Continent, for 

 the use of woollen cloth manufacturers, who use the heads 

 fixed in frames to give a '' nap " to their fabrics, by raising 

 to the surface some of the fine fibres of the wool. The 

 heads are assorted commercially into different sizes and 

 qualities, known as " King's," '' Queen's," '' Seconds," and 

 " Buttons." Every piece of fine broadcloth requires from 

 1,500 to 2,000 teazles to bring out the proper nap, after 

 which they are useless. 



Note parasol handles formed of the fasciated stem of 

 this plant. 



Composite Order {Comimsltae). One of the largest 

 and at the same time most naturally defined families of 

 the Vegetable Kingdom : it is found almost all over the 

 globe, from the tropics to very high latitudes. The Order 

 is botanically marked by the flowers (florets) being 

 collected into dense heads, the whole resembling a single 

 flower, as in the Daisy and Dandelion ; the stamens united 

 in a ring by their anthers, and the simple structure of the 

 fruit. Some species abound in a bitter aromatic principle, 

 as the Wormwoods and Chamomile ; others afl'ord a milky, 

 narcotic, or bitter juice, as the Lettuce and Dandelion. 



