VALERIAN FAMILY. Valerianaceae. 



grows in mountain woods, as far east as Wyoming, 

 There are many kinds of Galium, widely distributed; 

 sometimes shrubs; stems square; leaves in whorls, without 

 stipules; flowers small, usually perfect, in clusters; calyx 

 usually with no border; corolla wheel-shaped, four-lobed; 

 stamens four, short; ovary two-lobed; styles two, short, 

 with round- top stigmas; fruit dry or fleshy, consisting of 

 two similar, rounded parts, each with one seed. The 

 common name, Bed-straw, comes from a tradition that the 

 manger of the Infant Christ was filled with these plants. 

 Other names are Goose-grass and Cleavers. 



A rather attractive, smooth, perennial, 

 Northern Bed- . . , , 



straw with a stout, leaty stem, sometimes 



Galium boreale branching, and the leaves in fours, with 

 White three veins, the margins sometimes rough 



Summer and ha{ Thg n flowers are white 



Northwest, etc. 



and so numerous as to be quite pretty. 



The fruit is small, at first bristly, but smooth when ripe. 

 This grows in northern mountains across the continent, 

 also in Europe and Asia, up to ten thousand feet. 



VALERIAN FAMILY. Valerianaceae. 



Not a large family, widely distributed, most abundant 

 in* the northern hemisphere; herbs, with opposite leaves 

 and no stipules; flowers usually perfect, rather small, in 

 clusters; the calyx sometimes lacking, or small, but often 

 becoming conspicuous in fruit; corolla somewhat irregular, 

 tube sometimes swollen or spurred at base, lobes united and 

 spreading, usually five; stamens one to four, with slender 

 filaments, on the corolla, alternate with its lobes; ovary 

 inferior, with one to three cells, only one containing an 

 ovule, the others empty; style slender; fruit dry, not 

 splitting open, containing one seed. 



There are many kinds of Valerianella, much alike, 

 distinguished principally by their fruits. 



This has a juicy stem, from a few inches 



Corn-salad tQ oyer & foQt tall spr i ng i ng f rom a c l ump 



Valerianella 

 macrosera of smooth, very bright green leaves, and 



(Plectritis) bearing most of the flowers at the top, in 



Pink a small close cluster, with narrow purplish 



Spring, summer bractS- They are tl ' ny> w j t h a slightly 

 Northwest, Cal. . ,.,.,., 



irregular corolla, light pink, with two tiny 



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