Chap. XCIX.
Valeriana. Valerian.
The many sorts of Valerian (or Set-wall as many doe call them) are fitter for a generall worke, or a generall Physicall Garden of Simples, then this of delightfull flowers. I will therefore select out a few, worthy of the place, and offer them to your considerations.
1. Valeriana rubra Dodonæi. Red Valerian.
This Valerian hath diuers hard, but brittle whitish greene stalkes, rising from the roote, full of tuberous or swelling ioynts, whereat stand two leaues, on each side one, and now and then some small leaues from betweene them, which are somewhat long and narrow, broadest in the middle, and small at both ends, without either diuision or incisure on the edges, of a pale greene colour: the stalkes are branched at the top into diuers parts, at the ends whereof stand many flowers together, as it were in an vmbell or tuft, somewhat like vnto the flowers of our ordinary Valerian, but with longer neckes, and of a fine red colour, very pleasant to behold, but of no sent of any Valerian: after these flowers haue stood blowne a very great while, they sodainely fall away, and the seede is ripe very quickly after, which is whitish, standing vpon the branches naked, as the Valerians doe, and very like vnto them, with a little white doune at the end of euery one of them, whereby they are soone carried away with the winde: the roote is great, thicke, and white, continuing long, and shooting out new branches euery yeare, and smelling somewhat like a Valerian.
2. Nardus Montana tuberosa. Knobbed Mountaine Valerian.
This kinde of Valerian or Spiknard, if you will so call it, hath his first leaues lying on the ground, without any diuision in them at all, being smooth, and of a darke greene colour, which so abide all the winter; but those that spring vp after, and when it runneth vp to flower, are cut in on the edges, very like vnto the iagged leaues of the great garden Valerian, and so the elder they grow, the more cut and iagged they are: the stalke and flowers are very like the stalke with flowers of the garden Valerian, but of a darke or deepe red colour, and more store of them thrust together, by double the number almost: the seede is like the seede of the great Valerian: the root is tuberous, or knobbed in many parts, round about, aboue and below also, with some fibres shooting from them, whereby it is encreased, and smelleth very like the roote of the garden Setwall, or not altogether so strong.
