10 TRIAXDRIA MONOGYNIA. Valeriana. 



In drying, the plant exhales an odour similar to Woodruff, 

 (Asperula odorata ;) chief cause of the fragrancy in new hay. 

 Its fresh stalks chewed, highly aromatic, not unlike lavender. Fl. 

 turn yellow with age ; abounds chiefly in wet lands ; not very pro- 

 ductive, nor very palatable to cattle. For a curious contrivance 

 of nature in the seeds: — See With. 



Class III. TRIA'NDRIA. Stamens 3. 

 Order I. MONO G YNIA. Pistil 1 . 



* Floivers above the germen. 



VALERIANA. Valerian. 



V. Tiibra. Red V. Flowers with one stamen, and a 

 long spur. Leaves eg2;"-spear-sliaped, nearly entire. 

 E. B. 1531. V. rubra Dodona^i. G. E. 678. 



Old walls. Merton College Walls. Sb. More of the white 



flowered var. — 31. R. W. 

 Per. July. 

 Cor. slender, elegant, rose-coloured, sometimes white. Stems a 



foot and a half high. 



V. dioica. Small Marsh V, Flowers with three 

 stamens, dioecious. Stem-leaves wing-cleft, root ones 

 egg-shaped. E. B. 628. V. minor. G. E. 1075. 



Per. 3Iay. 



Ls. winged. Linn. Cor. of the pistil-bearing plant, much smaller 

 than those of the stamen-bearing. Fl. flesh-coloured. Stem 

 six or eight inches high. Ls. called lyrato-pinnate, in Fl. Br. 



V. officindUs. Great Wild V. Stamens three. Leaves 

 all winged, leaflets spear-shaped, nearly uniform. E. 

 B. 698. C. 6. 3. V. sylvestris major. G. E. 

 1075. 



Per. June. 



Stalk three or four feet high. Fl. flesh-coloured. 



A variety (/3), narrower leaves, found in dry, mountainous woods, 



and pastures, which, as more aromatic, is preferred for medical 



use. 



This species is the Valerian of the shops, and possesses strong 

 antispasmodic virtues. Excellent medicine in habitual constipa- 

 tion, the root in decoction. Cats delighted with the roots. Rats 

 said to be equally fond of them. 



