844 ON THE TWO VALEEIANS. 



have fewer leaflets than those of the lower stem-leaves ; the leaves 

 on barren stolons fewest of all. 



There is one other point of view from which the two plants 

 may be regarded, vis., their different officinal qualities. That a 

 difference exists, is mentioned by several authors of the earlier part 

 of the present century ; but it will suffice to quote Smith (Eng. 

 Flo. i. p. 43), who says — " var. (3. more aromatic and preferred for 

 medical use." This statement has received an unexpected con- 

 firmation. In the spring I removed from both plants some stolons 

 and early leaves for preservation, when the cats, being thus made 

 aware of the presence of their favourite plant, at once attacked 

 Mikanii, grubbing up the roots, and so on. Both plants were then 

 protected with stakes, but without avail as regards Mikanii. 

 Finally, both were surrounded with wire-netting, and the cats 

 * effectually excluded. All this time no attempt had been made on 

 sambucifolia , and shortly afterwards I had the netting and all other 

 protection removed from it. It being still untouched, several 

 stolons were dug up, and, together with some leaves, bruised, and 

 left lying on the ground round the plant. Nothing, however, 

 would induce the cats, although deprived of Mikanii, to pay any 

 attention to sambucifolia, which has remained, without exception, 

 unheeded by them from the time it appeared above ground until 

 now. Concerning this character, I have made no systematic 

 observations on the wild plants ; but on more than one occasion the 

 odour of Mikanii has proclaimed itself when the plant has been dug 

 up, and this has not occurred in the case of sambucifolia. 



It will be inferred from the above account that I do not hesitate 

 to follow those authors who class these plants as distinct species. 

 JLhey answer admirably to Koch's description of V. officinalis and 

 V. sambucifolia ; and doubtless these are the plants intended by 

 those names in Pohl's ' Tent. Flo. Bohemia*,' but the descriptions 

 there are most meagre. In the last-named work, the Eng. Bot. 

 plate 698 is referred to officinalis, and the right-hand leaf in that 

 plate may possibly belong to that plant. I have examined a good 

 number of continental examples of " V. officinalis" and V. sambuci- 

 folia, and I have no doubt of their identity with the two plants now 

 described ; and this is especially the case with the latter. I have 

 tins year brought into cultivation several more forms or states of 

 tnese two species, and should any further light be thus thrown on 

 tne subject, I shall hope to report thereon on some future occasion, 

 it only remains to add that the garden observations have been, in 

 the mam, abundantly confirmed from the wild plants ; in numerous 

 examples m the case of the common sambucifolia. 



