﻿(90.) 



VALERIANA* * 



Linncan Class and Order. TriiA'NDRiAf, Monogy'nia. 



Natural Order. Valeria^E-te, Dccand. — Lind. Syn. p. 137 ; 

 Introd. to Nat. Syst. p. 197. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 458. — Loud. 

 Hort. Brit. p. 520 . — Dipsa'ce/E, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 194. — Sm. Gr. 

 of Bot. p. 125. 



Gen. Char. Calyx (see figs. 3 and 4) a slight border to the 

 top of the Germen, at length unfolding into a feathery pappus or 

 crown for the seed. Corolla (fig. 1.) monopetalous (of 1 petal), 

 tubular, with a protuberance or spur on one side at the base, con- 

 taining honey ; limb cut into 5 blunt, rather unequal segments. 

 Filaments 3, or fewer than 3, awl-shaped, upright, borne by the 

 corolla, and as long as the limb. Anthers oblong. Germen (see 

 fig. 2.) inferior, elliptic-oblong, of 1 cell. Style (see fig. 2.) thread- 

 shaped, the length of the stamens. Stigma mostly simple. Seed 

 (fig. 4.) egg-oblong, compressed, with 3 ribs at one side, and 1 at 

 the other, crowned with many, spreading, feathery rays, which 

 unroll gradually. 



Distinguished from other genera, in the same class and order, by 

 the superior, 5-cleft corolla, with a protuberance at the base ; and 

 the single seed with a feathery radiating crown. 



Sir J. E. Smith observes, that the seed in this genus is truly naked, 

 having only a membranous film besides its outer skin, or testa. 



Four species British. 



VALERIA'NA RU'BRA. Red Valerian. 



Spec. Char. Corolla with a long spur, and only 1 stamen. 

 Leaves egg-spear-shaped, nearly entire. 



Engl. Bot.t. 1531. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 44.— Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 12. — 

 Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p.37. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 42. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 88. — 

 Hook. Biit. FI. p. 14.— Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 20. — Kelli. 1‘ 1. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 17. — 

 Purt. Midi. FI. v. iii. p. 5. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 14.— Grev. FI. Edin. p. 7. — FI. 

 Devon, pp. 5 & 162. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 10. —Perry’s PI. Varvic. Select®, 

 p. 4. — Alack. Catal. of PI. of Irel. p. 10.— Valeriana rubra Dodonai, John- 

 son's Gerarde,. p.678. — Centrantlius ruber, Decandolle’s FI. Fr. v.iv. p.239; 

 Prod. v. iv. p. 632 — Centranthus marinus, Gray’s Nat. Air. v. ii. p. 479. — 

 Centranthus latifolius, Hindi. Syn. p. 139. 



Localities. — On old walls, chalk cliffs, &c. Rare. — Oxfordsh. On the wall 

 of Merton College Garden: Dr. Siimionr, 1794. It is growing in the same 

 plajce now. May 22, 1834, hut the white flowered variety predominates: W. B. — 

 Cumbridyesh. Old walls at Colon ; and Babraham ; and on Ely Cathedral, and 

 the walls adjoining on the south side: Rev. R. Relhan. — Frequent in Corn- 



Fig. 1. Corolla, Stamen, and Style. — Fig. 2. Germen, Style, and Stigma. — 

 Fig. 3. Two seeds, crowned with the unexpanded feathery down, or pappus. 

 Fig. 4. A seed, with the pappus expanded. 



* From Valeo, to be powerful, on account of the medicinal effects of some 

 species. Dr. Hooker. 



f The third class in the Linnean Artificial System; comprehending all 

 those plants which have perfect flowers, with three distinct stamens in each. 

 Valeriana rubra dift’eis from other British species of Valerian, in having only 

 oue stamen instead of three ; on that account made a new genus of by some 

 Botanists. 



