Valeriana Officinalis. Wild Valerian. 
VALERIANA. 
VALERIANA 
VALERIANA 
VALERIANA 
VALERIANA 
VALERIANA 
Linn, Gen- PI. Triandria Monogynia. 
Cal. o. Cor. l. petala, ball hinc gibba, fupera. 
Rail Sin. Gen. 10. Herb* feore perfecto simplici, seminibus nudis so- 
LITARIIS, SEU AD SINGULOS FLORES SINGULIS. 
■officinalis floribus triandris, foliis omnibus pinnatis. Linn. Spfl. Ve S e > ab - el ' 4 - Mm. 
•“ -f. So. Up. P/. ei. 2. p. 40. Fl.Suec.n. 34. Scop. FI. Can,, ed. 2. n. 39. Berg. Mat. 
Med. p. 30. Bud/on FI. Angl. ei. 2. p. 12. Ltghtfool 5 at. V. 1. t- 8 5 ■ 
foliis pinnatis, pinnis dentatis. Hall. H]l. n. 210. 
fylveftris major. Bauh. Pin. 164. Ger. Heri. p. 917. Jig. 2. Great Wilde Valerian, 
emac. 1075. flg- 2. Tbrelk Syn. 
fylveftris. Wilde Valerian. Park. Ho. p. 123./ 13. 
fylveftris magna aquatica. J. Bauh. III. 2. 211. Rail Syn. ed. 3. p. 200. Great Wild 
RADIX perennis, fubprasmorfa, fibrofa, fibris plurimis, 
majufculis, ftolonem unum alterumve longe 
protenfum e caudice emittens. 
CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, et ultra, ereftus, teres, 
fulcatus, fiftulofus, hinc hirfutulus, terminans 
in ramos floriferos brachiatim difpofitos. 
FOLIA oppofita, connata, bafi fubtus barbata, pinnata; 
Cofta leviter pubefcens; Foliola 11 ad 13, 
nunc oppofita, nunc alterna, fub decurrentia, 
lanceolato-oblonga, acutiufcula, inaequaliter 
remoteque dentata, venofo-rugofa, fubtus pal- 
lidiora, pilofiufcula, foliolum terminale trilo- 
batum ; Folia fuprema floralia trifida, et fub- 
fimplicia. 
FLORES fubcorymbofi terminales, albido-carnei» 
odore lingulari praediti; Pedunculi ramo- 
fiflimi, multoties dichotomi. 
BRACTE/E lanceolatae, acuminate, connatae, albentes, 
nervo viridi. 
CALYX nullus, margo fuperus minutus, fig. 1. 
COROLLA tubulofa, tubo a latere inferiore ne£tari- 
v fero, gibbo, Jig. 2. Umbo quinquefido, laci- 
niis ODtufis, Jig. 3. 
STAMINA: Filamenta tria, ere£ta, Corolla longiora, 
amilfo polline recurvantia ; Anthers lubro- 
tundae, floribus concolores, Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen conicum, inferum ; Stylus 
filiformis, longitudine flaminum ; Stigma 
crafliufculum, obtufum, album, trifidum, fig. 
5 - 
SEMINA folitaria, ovato-oblonga, comprefla; Pappus 
radiis duodecim plumofis, bafi purpurafcenti- 
bus, Jig. 6. 
ROOT perennial, fomewhat flumped, fibrous, fibres 
numerous, large, fending out from its crown 
one or more long-extended creeping (hoots. 
STALK from one to three feet or more in height, up- 
right, round, grooved, hollow, in fome parts 
hairy, terminating in flowering branches dif- 
pofed croflwife. 
LEAVES oppofite, connate, bearded at the bafe on 
the under fide, pinnated ; the Midrib fome- 
what downy ; the Leaflets or Pinnae 11 to 13, 
fometimes oppofite, fometimes alternate, 
(lightly decurrent, lanceolate-oblong, rather 
pointed, unevenly and diftantly toothed, 
veiny, wrinkled, paler on the underfide, 
(lightly hairy ; the terminating Leaflet three- 
lobed ; the uppermoft leaves on the flower- 
ing branches trifid, and fometimes entire. 
FLOWERS growing in a kind of corymbus, terminal, 
of a pale flefh colour, and Angular fmell; 
Flower-Stalks much branched, and many 
times divided. 
FLORAL-LEAVES, lanceolate, acuminated, connate, 
whitifti, with a green midrib. 
CALYX none, a flight margin on the top of the Germen, 
fig- 1 - 
COROLLA tubular, the tube producing from its lower 
fide a gibbous neftaiy. Jig. 2. the Limb di- 
vided into five obtufe fegments, Jig. 3. 
STAMINA: three upright Filaments, longer than 
the Corolla, bending back when the an- 
therte have fhed their pollen; Anther je. 
roundifh, of the fame colour as the flowers, ./fg. 4. 
PISTILLUM: the Germen conic, beneath the Corolla, 
Style thread-fhaped, the length of the (la- 
mina; Stigma thickifh, obtule, white, and 
trifid. Jig. 5. 
SEEDS Angle, ovato-oblong, compreffed, furnifhed 
with a Pappus having twelve feathery rays, of 
a purplifti colour at the bafe. Jig. 6. 
. The Valeriana officinalis here figured, grows wild with us in wet fituations only, it more efpecially is found on 
the edges of wet ditches, often in ofier-grounds, and in fuch fituations is very common in mod of the Southern 
parts of Great-Britain ; fometimes, particularly in the Northern parts of the kingdom, it is found on more elevated 
and drier ground, where it becomes in every refpefl fmaller, and more hairy ; in fuch fituations the roots are 
found to poffefs more fragrance, and are confidered as preferable for medicinal purpofes. 
The flowers, when frelh, diffufe a peculiar kind of odour, almoft too ftrong to be pleafant ; the powerful fmell 
of the dried root is known to mod perfons, and of this part of the plant cats are remarkably fond, not only 
eating it, but when they have an opportunity, perfuming themfelves by rolling on it, and that on the frelh as 
well as dried roots ; for I have often obferved, that as die roots fpread out near the furface of the ground, 
they find them out, and in gratifying their paflion frequently deftroy the plant in gardens ; whenever they are 
infufferably mifehievous in this or other refpe6ts, they may with certainty be caught in a wooden hutch trap, 
baited with Valerian root ; we are not however wantonly to facrifice this ul'eful animal. 
The officinal/s, as well as fome of the other fpecies of Valerian, is very ornamental, but almoft too large for 
the flower-garden, unlefs it be an extenfive one; it flowers in June and July, and is eafily cultivated, as it has 
creeping roots, which for medicinal purpofes (hould be taken up early in tlie faring and carefully dried. 
The mountain Valerian root has a ftrong, not agreeable fmell, and an unpleafant, warm, bitterifh, fubacrid 
tafte ; the ftrength of the fmell and tafte is the only mark to be depended on of its genuinenefs, and ’goodnefs. 
It is a medicine of great efteem in the prefent pratlice againtt obftinate hemicranias, hyfterical and the different 
kinds of nervous diforders, and is commonly looked upon as one of the principal antifpafmodics. Column a 
reports, that he was cured by it of an inveterate epilepfy, after many other medicines had been ufed in vain : on 
more extenfive trials it has been found, in fome epileptic cafes to effeft a cure, infeveral to abate the violence or 
frequency of the fits, and in many to prove entirely ineffea.ua 1 : oftentimes, it either purges, or operates by fweat 
or by urine, or brings away worms before it prevents a fit. The dofe of the root in powder is from a fcruple to a 
dram or two, which may be repeated if the ftomach will bear it, two or three times a day A remarkabl» 
mftance of its efficacy m a Catalepfy is given by Mr. Mudge: dotes of half an ounce of the powder were 
exhibited twice a day, and a lels quantity was found ineffeaual.— Among the materials I have made trial of for 
covering its. flavour,^ mac? teemed to anlwer the beft. Lewis’s Mat. Med. ed. Aik. p. 6'Q. 
Dr. Cullen confiders it as an antifpafmodic medicine of confi^erable efficacy, but obferves that he has fre 
quently found it . inefficacious, which he attributes partly to the beft remedies failing in difeafes which depend 
on a diversity of cautes, and partly to the roots being employed in an improper condition ; he is of opinion that 
it mould be given m larger dotes than is commonly done. 
