valerian

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A plant of the genus Valeriana, especially V. officinalis, native to Eurasia and widely cultivated for its small, fragrant, white to pink or lavender flowers and for use in medicine.
2. n. The dried rhizomes of this plant, used medicinally as a sedative.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A plant of the genus Valeriana. The common, officinal, or great wild valerian is V. officinalis, native through Europe and Asiatic Russia, cultivated for its medicinal root and somewhat for ornament. It is a herbaceous plant with a perennial rootstock; the stem is erect, from 2 to 4 feet high, and furrowed; the leaves are opposite and pinnate; and the flowers are small, white or pinkish, in terminal corymbs. The root is an officinal drug having the property of a gentle stimulant, with an especial direction to the nerves, applied in hysteria, epilepsy, etc. Its virtue resides chiefly in a volatile oil—the oil of valerian. It is of a pungent disagreeable odor, which is attractive to cats, and also, it is said, to rats; it is therefore used as a bait. In England in the sixteenth century, valerian, under the name of setwall, was regarded as a panacea; but the species appears to have been V. Pyrenaica, a plant there cultivated, and naturalized from Spain. V. Phu from western Asia, called garden valerian, is also cultivated, and affords a root of weaker property. V. Dioscoridis is believed to be the true valerian or phu (φου%26) of the ancient Greeks. There are three species of valerian in North America, the most notable being V. edulis. edible valerian, whose thickened roots, after prolonged cooking in the ground, formerly formed a staple food of the Digger Indians.
2. n. The rootstocks of the officinal valerian, or some preparation from them.
3. Pertaining to any one of the name of Valerius

Wiktionary

1. n. A hardy perennial flowering plant, Valeriana officinalis, with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers.
2. n. More generally, any plant of the genus Valeriana.
3. n. uncountable The root of Valeriana officinalis, used in herbal medicine.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Valeriana. The root of the officinal valerian (Valeriana officinalis) has a strong smell, and is much used in medicine as an antispasmodic.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a plant of the genus Valeriana having lobed or dissected leaves and cymose white or pink flowers