Obeeb 69.— DIPSACEiE. 405 



i. VALERIAHEL'LA, Mcench, DC. (Lat. diminntive of faleriana.) 

 Calyx limb obsolete ; corolla tube short, not spurred, limb S-lobed, 

 regular ; stamens 3 ; stigmas 3-cleft or entire ; fruit 3-celled, 2 of them 

 empty aud more or less inflated, the other with one seed. — (J) Stems 

 forked above. Lvs. opposite, oblong or linear, entire or toothed, ses- 

 sile. Fls. in dense, terminal cymelets. The specific characters arci 

 afforded mainly by the fruit. 



« Fruit ovate in outline, gldbrons or pubescent. Flowers white Nos. 1, 3 



• Fruit orbicular, glabrous, — compressed dorsally. Flowers white Nos.8,4 



— compressed laterally. Flowers blue No. 6 



1 V. Pagop^rum. Lvs. obloug-spatulate, subentire ; fr. smooth, ovoid-iriangu- 

 lar, the empty cells converging to the obtuse angle, with no groove between them ; 

 fls. large (IJ" broad). — West N. T. to Ohio. St. 8 to 18' in heiglit. Bracts lan- 

 ceolate, acute. Fr. resembling that of Buckwheat (Polygonum Fagopyrum,) in 

 form, containing one large seed and two empty cells, jis. thrice larger than in 

 the next. Fr. IJ" long. Jn. (Fedia T. & G.) 



2 V. radiata Dufr. Lvs. mostly toothed towards the base, linear-oblong, obtuse; 

 fr. pubescent, ovoid, somewhat irangled, .1-toothed at apex ; empty cells not con- 

 vergent, but with, a groove between them ; futile cell flattish, broader than the 

 other 2; fla. small (^" wide). — Low grounds, Mich., Ohio, to Ala. St. 6 to 12" 

 high, diohotomous like the other species, smooth, Lvs. oblong, more or less taper- 

 ing to the base, 1 to 2' by 2 to 4". Fr. less than 1" long, at length nearly 

 smooth. (Fedia, Mx.) 



3 v. nmbilicita (SuU.) Lvs. oblong-lanceolate, toothed or incised at the base ; 

 fr. subglobous, inflated, apex 1-toothed, the anterior face deeply umbilicate and 

 perforated into the sterile cells which are much larger than the fertile one. — Moist 

 grounds, Columbus, Ohio, (SuUivant). Plant sm(ftth, 1 to 2f high, many times 

 dichotomous. Fls. in numerous cymules, corymbously arranged. Fr. nearly 1" 

 diam., with 1 rib at the back produced into a tooth at apex (Fedia, Sail.) 



4 V. patellaria (Sull.) Lvs. toothed at base ; fr. obicular, much flattened, con- 

 cave, notched at both ends, the sterile cells widely divergent, at length forming a 

 winged margin to the fertile cells. — "Wet grounds near Columbus, Ohio, (SuUivant). 

 Resembles the last except in its fruit. (Fedia, Sull.) 



5 V. olitdria Moench. Lamb Lettuce. Lvs. spatulate-obtuse, radical one petio- 

 late ; fr. compressed laterally as to the seed, oblique, at length broader than long, 

 not toothed at apex ; fertile cell longer than both the others, wit)i a corky back ; 

 empty cells united, but with a groove (in the circumference) between ; fls. pale 

 blue. — Katuralized in some portions of the "U. S. St. smooth, 8 to 12' high, 

 dichotomous. Lvs. mostly entire. Fls. in dense cymules. Fr. 1' diam. Jn. f 

 § Eur. 



Order LXIX. DIPSACE.^. Tkaselworts. 



Herts with whorled or opposite leaves and no stipules. Flowers in dense heads 

 mirrounded by an involucre as in Compositas. Calyx adherent, pappus-like, sur- 

 rounded by a special soarious involuoel, corolla tabular, somewhat irregular, the limb 

 4 to 5-parted. Stamens 4, alternate with the lobes of corolla, often unequal. An- 

 thers distinct. Ovary inferior, one-celled, one-ovuled. Style one, simple. JiVuii 

 dry, indehiscent, with a single suspended seed. (Fig. 206.) 



ffmera G, species 160. The order is nearly allied to the Composita;. The species are all na- 

 tives of the temperate regions of the eastern continent, none of them American. Their proper- 

 ties are unimportant. One of the species below is useful in dressing cloth. 



1. DIP'SACUS, L. Teasel. (Gr. dixpdu, to thirst; water is held in 

 the axils of the leaves.) Flowers in heads ; involucre many-leaved ; 

 involucel 4-sided, closely investing the calyx and fruit ; calyx superior ; 

 corolla tubular, 4-eleft, lobes erect ; fruit 1-seeded, crowned with the 



