VALERIANA. Linn. Gen. PI. T riandrla Monogynia.
Cal.ö. Cor. l. petala, bafi hinc gibba, fupera.
Raii Syn. Gen. 10. H erbæ flore perfecto simplici, seminibus nudis so-
LITARIIS, SÈU AD SINGULOS FLORES SINGULIS.
VALERIANÀ officinalis floribus triandris, foliis omnibus pinnatis. Linn. Syfi. Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr.
p. 80. Sp. PI. ed. 2. >. -4Q. FI. -Suec.n. 34. Scop. FI. Cam. ed. 2. n. 39. Berg. Mat.
Med. p. 30. Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 12, Lightfoot Scot. V. 1. p. 85.
VALERIANA foliis pinnatisi pinnis Üentatis. Hall. Hiß. n. -210. *
VALERIANA fylveftris major. Bauh.Pin. 164. Ger. Herb. p. giy. fg . 2. Great Wilde Valerian,
emac. 1075. ßg. 2. Tbrelk Syn.
VALERIANA fylveftris. Wilde Valerian. Park. Fh.sp. 123. f . 13.
VALERIANA fylveftris magna aquatica. J . Baub. III. 2. 211. Ran Syn. ed 3. p. 200. Great Wild
Valerian-.
RADIX perennis, fubprasmorfa, fibrofa, fibris plurimis, §
majufculis, ftolonem unum alteru'mve longe 0
protenfum e caudice emittens.
CAULIS pedalis ad tripedalem, et ultra, ere&usj teres, |
fulcatus, fiftulofus, hinc hirfutulus, terminans J
in ramos floriferos brachiatim difpofitos.- @
FOLIA oppofita, eonnata, baft fubtus barbata, pmnata;
Cofta leviter pubefcens; Foliola 11 ad 13, V
nunC oppofita, nunc alterna, fubdecurrentia, *
lanceolato-oblongaj acutiufcula, inaequaliter |
remoteque.dentata, venofo-rugofa* fubtus pal-
lidiora, pilofiufcula, foliolum terminals trilo- ©
, batum; Folia fuprema floralia trifida* et fub- §
fimplicia. v 1
FLORES fubcorymbofi terminales, albido-carnei, |
odore fingulari praediti; Pedunculi ramo- q
fiffimi, multoties dichotomi. |
BRACTEriL lanceolatae, acuminatas* connatje, albentes, V
nervo viridi. jv
CALYX nullus,margo fuperus minutuSj jig. 1. |
COROLL A tubulofa, tubo a latere inferiore ne&ari- |
. fero, gib bo, jig. 2. Limbo quinquefido, laci-.O
niis obtufis, Jig. 3. ? .¥
STAMINA: Filamen.t a tria, erefta, Corollalongiora, ¥
amiffo polline recurvantia ; A n th er s lubro* a
tundae, floribus concolores, Jig. 4.
PISTILLUM: G ermen conicum, inferum ; Stylus
filifprmis, longitudine ftaminum; Stigma
crafliufculum, obtufum, album, trifidum, jig.
5.
SEMIN A . folitaria,- ovato-oblonga, comprefla; Pappus
radiis duodecim plumofis, bafi purpurafcenti-
busj jig* 6.
ROOT perennial;, fomewhat flumped, fibrous, fibres
numerousj large, fending out from its crown
one or more long-extended creeping (hoots.
STA LK from one to three feet or more in height, upright,
roundy 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 fomewhat
downy; the Leaflets or Pinnae 11 to 13,
fometimes oppofite, fometimes alternate,
(lightly decurrentj lanceolate-oblong, rather .
pointed, unevenly and : • diftaritly toothed,
veiny, wrinkled, paler on the underfidej
(lightly hairy; the terminating Leaflet three-
lobed; the uppermoft leaves on the flowering
branches trifid, and fometimes entire.
FLOWERS growing in a kind of corymbus, terminal,
of a pale flelh colour, and Angular fmell;
Flower7Stalxs much branched, and many
times divided.
FLORAL-LEAVES, lanceolate, acuminated, connate,
whitifh, with a green midrib.
CALYX none, a flight margin on the top of the Germen^
■ Jig. 1.
COROLLA tubular, the tube producing from its lower
fide a gibbous ne£lary, Jig. 2. the Limb divided
into five obtufe fegments, Jig. 3.
STAMINA: three upright Filaments, longer than
the Corolla, bending back when the an-
theras have fhed their pollen; A nther a:
roundilh, of the fame colour as the flowers,^-. 4.
PISTILLUM: the G ermen conic, beneath the Corolla, Style thread-ftiaped, the length of the (lamina;
Stigma thickifh, obtufe, white, and
trifid, Jig. 5.
SEEDS fingle, ovato-oblong, comprefled, furniftied
with a Pappus having twelve feathery ray§, of
a purplifh f 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 o f Vet ditches, often in ofier-grounds, and in fuch fituations is very common in moft of the Southern
parts o f 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 refpe£l fmaller, -and more hairy ; in fuch fituations the roots are
found to poflefs more fragrance, and are confidered as preferable for medicinal purpofes.
The flowers, when frelh, diffufe a peculiar kind o f odour, almoft too ftrong to be pleafant ; the powerful fmeli
of the dried root is known to moft 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 frefti as
well- as dried roots ; for I have often obferved, that as the 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 mifchievous in this or other refpe&s, they may with certainty be caught in a wooden hutch trap,
baited with Valerian root ; we are not however wantonly to facrifice this uleful animal.
The officinalis, 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 Ihould be taken up early in the fpring and carefully dried.
The mountain Valerian root has a ftrong, not agreeable fmell, -and an unpleafant, warm, bitterilh, fubacrid
tafte ; the ftrength of the fmell and tafte is the only mark to be depended on of its genuinenefs, and goodnels.,
It is a medicine of great efteem in the prefent practice againft obftinate hemicraniæ, hyfterical and the different“
kinds of nervous dilorders, and is commonly looked upon as. one of the principal antifpafmodics* Columna
reports, that he was cured by it of an inveterate epilepfy, after many other medicines haa been ufed in vain : on
more extenfive trials it has been found, in fome epileptic cafes to effeft a cure, in feveral to abate the violence or
frequency of the fits, and in many to prove entirely ineffe6lual : oftentimes, it either purges, or operates by fweat,
or by urine, or brings away worms before it prevents a fit. The dofe o f the root in powder is from a fcruple to a
dram or two, which may be repeated i f the ftomach will bear it, two. or three times a day. A remarkable
inftance of its efficacy in a Catalepfy is given by Mr. Mudge: dofes of half an ounce of the powder were
exhibited twicè a day, and a lefs quantity was found ineffeftual.— Among the materials I have made trial of for
covering its flavour, mace feemed to anfwer the belt. Lewis s Mat. Med. ed. Aik. p. 65,9.
Dr. Cullen confiders it as an antifpafmodic medicine of confiderable efficacy, but obferves, that he has frequently
found it inefficacious, which *he attributes partly to the beft remedies failing in difeafes which depend
on a diverfity of-caufes, and partly to the roots' being employed in an improper condition ; he is of opinion that
it fhould be given in larger dofes than is commonly done;