VALERIAN FAMILY. 177 



Var. longif&lia, the common one N. ; slender or low, with 1 -ribbed leaves, 

 those of the stem varying from lance-oblong to linear. 



H. angustifdlia. Dry banks from 111. S. & W., with tufted erect stems, 

 narrow-linear and acute 1-ribbcd leaves, crowded short-pedicellcd flowers, lobes 

 of the white corolla densely bearded inside, and only the top of the obovate pod 

 rising above the calyx. 



59. VALERIANACE.^, VALERIAN FAMILY. 



Herbs, with opposite leaves, no stipules, calyx coherent with the 

 ovary, which has only one fertile one-ovuled cell but two abortive or 

 empty ones, and stamens always fewer than the lobes of the corolla 

 (1 -3, distinct), and inserted on its tube. Style slender : stigmas 

 1-3. Fruit small and dry, indehiscent ; the single hanging seed 

 with a large embryo and no albumen. Flowers small, in clusters 

 or cymes. 



« Lobes of the calyx many and slender, hut hardly seen when v^flower, being rolled 

 up inwards around the base of the -corolla ; in fruit umy WKrgll and appear 

 as long plumose bristles, resembling a pappus, like thistle<-down. 



1. VALERIANA. Corolla with nai-row or funnel-fornj tube usually gibbous at 



the base on one side, but not spurred, its 6 spreading lobes almost equal. 

 -Stamens 8. Akene 1-celled, the minute empty cells early disappearing. 

 Root strong-Ecented. 



2. CENTRANlliUS. Corolla as in the preceding, but with a spur at the base. 



Stamen only one. 



: • Lobes of the calyx of a few short teeth or mostly hardly any. 



spread 

 ) empty c 



FEOIA. Corolla funnel-form, with 5 equal or rather unequal spreading lobes. 

 Stamens mostly 3. Akene-like fruit with one fertile and two empty cells, or 



the lattek- confluent into one. 



1. VALEEIAlf A, VALERIAN. (Name from valere, to be well, alluding 

 to medical properties, the peculiar-scented root of some species used iu medi- 

 cine.) K. early summer, often dioecious, white or purplish. ^ 



» Garden species from Europe, producing the medicinal Valerian-^oot. 



v. officinalis, the commonest in gardens, 2° - 3° high, a little downy, with 

 leaves of II to 21 lanceolate or oblong cut-toothed leaflets, and rootstocks not 

 running. 



V. Fhu, is smoother, with root-leaves simple, stem-leaves of 5 - 7 entire 

 leaflets or lobes, and rootstock horizontal. 



• * Wild species N. and chiefly W. : all rather rare or local. 



v. pauciflora. Woodlands, Penn. to Illinois and S. W. ; lo-2° high, 

 sniobth, with thin ovate and heart-shaped toothed root-leaves, stem-leaves of 

 3-7 ovate leaflets, rather few flowers jn the crowded panicled cyme, and long 

 slender corolla. j ' p 



V. sylv^tica. Cedar swamps from Vermont W. & N. ; with rootleaves 

 mostly ovate or oblong and entire, stem-leaves with 5-11 lance-oMong or ovate 

 almost entire leaflets ; corolla fnnnel-form. 



V. 6duliS. Alluvial ground from Ohio W. ; 1°- 4° high with a large 

 spmdle-shaped root (eaten by the Indians W.), thickish leaves mostly from the 

 root- and mimitely woolly on the edges, those of the root lanceolate o/spatulate, 

 of the stem cut into 3-7 long and narrow divisions. 



2. CENTEANTHUS, SPURRED VALERIAN. (From Greek words 

 for spur and^ower.) El. summer. 2/ ' 



C. riltaer. Red S. or Jupiter's-Beakd. Cult, for ornament, from S. 

 Eu. : a very smooth rather glaucous herb, 10-2° high, with lance-ovate nearly 

 entire leaves, all the upper ones sessile, and cymes of small flowers in a narrow 

 panicle, the corolla very slender, J' long, red, rarely a white variety. 

 12 ""' 



