128 VALERIANACE^E. (VALEEIAN FAMILY.) 



++ ++ Flowers few in number and scattered. 



5. G. bifolium, Watson. Smooth and glabrous, a span or two high 

 sparingly branched, slender : leaves oblanceolate to nearly linear, 4 in tin 

 a-liorls, the alternate ones smaller, or uppermost near/// reduced to a single pair : 

 flowers on solitary naked peduncles : fructiferous peduncles about the length of 

 the leaves, horizontal, and the minutely liispidulous fruit decurved on Hie naked 

 tip. — Bot. King Exp. 134. Mountains of W. Colorado and S. Montana to 

 California. 



6. G. trifidum, L. Weakly erect, branching, 5 to 20 inches high, 

 smoot li and glabrous, except the retrorsely scabrous angles of the stem and 

 usually more liispidulous and sparse roughness of the midrib beneath and 

 margins of the leaves: these in sixes, fives, or not rarely fours, linear or oblan- 

 ceolate, or lanceolate-oblong, obtuse, 4 to 7 lines long : peduncles slender, scat- 

 tered, one to several-ftou-ered ; flowers often 3-merous, as commonly 4-merous : 

 fruit smooth and glabrous. — From Texas to California, northward and east- 

 ward. 



Var. pusillum, Gray, is the smallest form, a span or two high : leaves 

 only in fours, 3 or 4 lines long, narrow, in age often reflexed : peduncles 

 1-flowered. — In the mountains of Colorado and California, and northward. 



Var. latifolium, Torr. The larger and broadest-leaved form : leaves 

 6 or 7 lines long, often 2 lines wide : cymules few to several-flowered. — 

 Canada to Texas and California. 



Order 41. VALEBIANACEJE. (Valerian Family.) 



Herbs with opposite leaves and no stipules, the calyx-tube adnate to 

 the ovary, which has one fertile one-ovuled cell and two abortive or 

 empty ones, stamens 1 to 3, distinct, fewer than the lobes of the corolla 

 and inserted on its tube. — Corolla tubular or funnelform, mostly 5- 

 lobed : flowers in terminal cymes. 



1. VALERIANA, Tourn. 



Calyx-limb of 5 to 15 setiform lobes, which are inrolled and inconspicu- 

 ous until fruiting. Stamens 3. Roots of peculiar scent. Leaves various 

 Flowers white or rose-colored. 



* Erect from a large fusiform perpendicular stock branching below into deep and 

 thickened roots : leaves thickish, nervosehj veined, not serrate. 

 1. V. edulis, Nutt. Glabrous or glabrate, » foot or at length 3 feet or 

 more high : radical leaves oblanceolate to spatulate, tapering into a margined 

 petiole, entire or some sparingly laciniate-pinnatifid ; cauline rarely none, 

 commonly 1 to 3 pairs, sessile, and pinnately parted into 3 to 7 linear or lan- 

 ceolate divisions, or terminal one spatulate : flowers polvgamo-diacions, yel- 

 lowish white, sessile in the cymules, which form an elongated thyrsiform 

 naked panicle. — Mountains of New Mexico and Arizona, northward and 

 eastward. 



