278 THE TALEEIAN FAMILY. 



In woods and shady places, throughout Europe and Russian Asia, ex- 

 cept tlie extreme north. Abundant in Britain. Fl. spring and early 

 summer. 



2. Small Asperule. Aspemla cyaancliica, Lion. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 33. Squinancy-wort.) 



A smooth and glabrous perennial, the stems sometimes erect and wiry, 

 with few leaves, 6 or 8 inches high, sometimes decumbent or spreading on 

 the ground, in broad, leafy tufts or patches. Leaves narrow-hnear, the 

 lower ones 4 in a whorl, the upper ones often 2 only, the 2 others wanting 

 or reduced to small stipules. Flowers white, often with a lilac tinge, form- 

 ing little clusters at the summits of the branches ; the coroUas little more 

 than a line long, funnel-shaped, tapering into a tube at the base. Fruits 

 small, slightly granulated. 



In dry pastures, on warm banks, and waste, stony, and sandy places. 

 Abundant in central and soutliem Europe to the Caucasus, extending 

 northward more sparingly to the Baltic. Common in many parts of 

 southern England and Ireland, but does not extend into Scotland. Fl. 

 summer. 



IV. SHERARDZA. SHERARDIA. 



A single species, with the corolla and fruit of an Asperule, and the habit 

 of some southern species of that genus, but distinguished both from Asperule 

 and Galium by the calyx, which has a distinct border of 4 or 6 teeth crown- 

 ing the fruit. 



1. Blue Sberardia. Sherardia arvensis, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 891. Field Madder.) 

 A small annual, seldom above 6 inches high. Leaves about 6 in a whorl, 

 the lower ones smaU and obovate, the upper linear or lanceolate, all rough 

 on the edges and ending in a fine point. Flowers small, blue or pink, in 

 Uttle terminal heads, surrounded by a broad, leafy involucre, deeply divided 

 into about 8 lobes, longer than the flowers themselves. Corolla with a slen- 

 ,der tube, Uttle more than a Une long, and 4 small, spreading lobes. Calyx- 

 ■teeth enlarged after flowering, forming a httle leafy crown at the top of the 

 fruit. 



In cultivated and waste places, in temperate Europe and western Asia, 

 extending far to the north as a weed of cidtivation. Common in the greater 

 part of Britain, but becoming scarce in the north of Scotland. Fl. the 

 phple summer. 



XL. THE VALERIAN FAMILY. VALEEIANE^. 



Herbs, either annual or with a perennial, sometimes almost 

 bushy stock, opposite leaves, and no stipules. Flowers in ter- 

 minal corymbs or panicles, usually small and numerous. Calyx 

 adherent to the ovary, the small border sometimes toothed, 

 sometimes scarcely perceptible at the time of flowering, but 



