GREEK lALEKlAy. 7' 



The valerian of the ancients was the s])ikeuai'd, 

 Mai'do>itarliij!i j(itiiiii,ni-\i , a Hi^au'e ni' wliieli will be found 

 in the intnlciiers' Miujiiznie, ISBo, p. oo. 



This is a member of the valerian family^ and a plant 

 of great modern as well as aneient repute, on account ol' 

 its powerful perfume. Some part of its reputation is, 

 indeed, far trom agreeable to Western notions of propriety 

 and good lixing. But it has higher associations^ and such 

 as are dear to thousands. .;^nd it (/omes aljout in this 

 way. It was a Romair custom for a guest at an enter- 

 tainment to make a contribution to the feast — it might 

 be of a measure of wine, or a box made of some precious 

 stone and hlled with spikenard. Now it was just such 

 a o'ift that offended Judas when i\Iar\' anointed Jesus' 

 feet with ointment so precious that it might ha^e Ijeen 

 "sold for three hundred pence and gi\cn to the poor." 

 The Greek valerian was doubtless the same as the spike- 

 nard of the East, but there was no other nearer home than 

 Crete — the J'alcriiiiid jihn, or garden valerian, dcscriljcd 

 by Pliu}'. This has properties similar to the other, hut is 

 not so strong, and is perhaps of more direct importance in 

 respect of its medical uses. 



The plant before us is not in any way related to the 

 Greek valerian. It is a member of the famil}- of Phloxes, 

 and maybe roughly described as a creeiiing foiiii of Jacob's 

 ladder, running to six or more inches in length of stem, 

 and producing blue t)r white flowers. It is a native of 

 North America, perfectly hardy, and a proper plant for the 

 open rockery. Any sandy soil will sutlice for its wants, 

 and it may be increased by division and seed with facility. 

 The nearly allied sp)ecies or varieties known as P. [julclier- 

 rimum and P. liiuii'iliH are as good as the plant before us, 



