16 
PARK AND CE-MEXE-RT 
Some Eittle-Known Native Ornamentals— VI. 
By Wilfred A. Brotherton. 
Our Native Valerians. 
Few things are much prettier than an old well-estab- 
lished clump of the European Valerian — Valeriana of- 
ficinalis — for this plant is not only valuable as a medi- 
cine but as an ornamental. Its large clusters of small 
pink or white fragrant flowers, rising to the height 
of three or four feet, are certainly a fine sight. Our 
native Valerians are by no means to be despised as 
ornamentals. I will mention but few of them, how- 
ever. 
Valeriana, pansiflora, Mse, Large-Flo'wered Vale- 
rian, 
Remarkable for its comparatively large pink flowers, 
which are three or four times longer than those of the 
European Valerian (one-half to five-sixths of an inch 
long) ; few or many in terminal clusters. The plant 
grows from one to three feet tall. The lower leaves 
usually undivided, broad-ovate, cordate, stem leaves 
3-7 pinnately divided. Root stocks slender, mostly 
horizontal. Prefers most soils. Pennsylvania to West 
Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri. 
Valeriana edulis, Nutt. Edible Valerian. 
This name is rather an unsafe one. While it is true 
that the large, thick, fleshy carrot-like roots are used 
as food by various native Americans, vulgarly but im- 
properly called Indians, it is, nevertheless, a fact that 
in a fresh state, or improperly prepared, these roots 
are dangerously poisonous. Even as the Bitter Cassava 
or Manihot, though dangerously poisonous when fresh, 
is made to supply the delicious tapioca when properly 
prepared, so this poisonous plant supplied our Aborigi- 
nes with a wholesome article of food when properly 
prepared. While not a very handsome plant, it is one 
that is not liable to escape notice in a collection. Grows 
three or four feet tall in upland, wet places, usually 
in marl, the root throwing up many long, narrow, 
I 
smooth, rich green, parallel-veined, undivided leaves. 
Stem leaves few, pinnately lobed ; lobes narrow. 
Elowers small ; many in a large cluster at top of stem. 
Yellowish white, slightly fragrant. 
Valeriana uliginosa {T and G.) Rydb. S<rvamp Vale- 
rian. 
A neat, pretty species, considerably resembling the 
European Valerian, growing one to three feet tall, 
with oblong or spatulate root-leaves, and three or four 
pairs of sparingly hairy-stern leaves, which are pin- 
nately parted into- from three to thirteen ovate, to lance- 
olate, usually dentate, segments, bearing at top a rather 
dense cluster of pink or nearly white flowers. 
Valeriana septentrionalis, Rydb. Northern Valerian. 
A smaller plant than preceding; like it, possessing 
same medicinal properties as European species, but 
having the clearest white flowers of any species of 
Valerian I have met; a neat and very pretty plant well 
worthy of culture as an ornamental. Erect, one to 
two feet tall ; very smooth throughout ; root-leaves 
long-stalked, spatulate or oval ; stem-leaves about three 
pairs, lowest petioled, upper sessile, divided into 5-7 
oval to linear-lanceolate, entire segments. Elowers 
many, clear white, in dense clusters, fine for cut 
flowers, smaller than those of preceding species, but 
larger than those of the European Valerian. It grows 
in the northern portions of the United States to sub- 
arctic America, west to British Columbia, in wet soil, 
preferring highland swamps ; one of the most con- 
spicuous flowers of the highland swamps of south- 
eastern Michigan, strangely enough associated with 
Cypripediums — of similar medicinal properties — and 
with rattlesnakes ! Old plants form large clumps, 
rather prefers marl-beds ; therefore like Valeriana edu- 
lis, a lime-loving plant. 
