Vallerianella.] XLI. VALEKIANEjE. 219 



border of the calyx. On being cut across, it shows 1 small cell occu- 

 pied by the seed, and 2 somewhat larger empty ones. 



In cornfields and waste places, widely spread over central and 

 southern Europe and western Asia. Not unfrequent in Britain, and 

 perhaps truly indigenous. Fl. summer. 



4. V. dentata, Poll. (fig. 491). Narrow-fruited C. — Habit and foliage 

 precisely those of V. Auricula, and the fruit is in the same manner 

 crowned by the oblique border of the calyx, but the fruit is narrower, 

 slightly compressed from front to back, and the seed occupies the 

 entire cavity without any empty cells ; these are represented by 2 

 longitudinal ribs on the inner face of the fruit, which, when examined 

 under the microscope, will be found to be hollow. 



The geographical range appears to be the same as that of V. Auricula, 

 with which it is often confounded. Fl. summer. It varies in its fruits 

 more or less hairy, and the calyx-border sometimes cup-shaped, nearly 

 as long as the fruit, and scarcely oblique, which form has been dis- 

 tinguished as a species, under the name of V. eriocarpa, Desv. 



XLIL DIPSACE^S. THE TEASEL FAMILY. 



Herbs or undershrubs, with opposite leaves, and no stipules. 

 Flowers collected into compact heads or spikes, surrounded by 

 a common involucre, with scales or hairs on the receptacle 

 between the florets, as in Compositce, but each floret is more- 

 over inserted in a small involucel having the appearance of an 

 outer calyx, sometimes tubular, and completely enclosing the 

 ovary ; sometimes cup-shaped at its base. Calyx combined with 

 the ovary, with an entire or toothed border; the teeth often 

 terminating in stiff points or bristles. Corolla monopetalous, 

 4- or 5-lobed, and often oblique. Stamens 4, inserted in the 

 tube ; the anthers free, not united as in Compositce. Fruit 

 small, dry, and indehiscent, crowned by the border of the 

 calyx, often enclosed in the involucel, which assumes the form 

 of an outer coating. Seed solitary, pendulous. 



A small family, spread over the temperate regions of the Old World 

 both in the northern hemisphere and in southern Africa ; at once dis- 

 tinguished from Compositce by the anthers, from capitate TJmbelliferce 

 by the opposite leaves and the monopetalous corollas. 



Scales of the receptacle between the florets prickly . . . .1. Dipsacus. 

 Scales of the receptacle not prickly, or replaced by hairs . . .2. Scabiosa. 



I. DIPSACUS. TEASEL. 



Tall, erect biennials, either prickly or bearing very stiff hairs. Heads 

 of flowers oblong or globular ; the scales between the florets oblong and 

 prickly. Involucels small and angular, with a very small, thickened 

 border. Calyx with a small cup-shaped border appearing above the 

 involucel. Corolla oblique, 4-lobed. 



