Valeriana L.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 52

4. Valeriana L. 2

Rhizomatous perennial herbs with erect, usually unbranched flowering stems. Flowers hermaphrodite or unisexual; inflorescence cymose, usually compound, with dense or lax partial inflorescences. Calyx-teeth 5-15, linear, inrolled in flower and accrescent and plumose in fruit. Corolla with (3)5 unequal lobes; tube infundibuliform, slightly gibbous near the base. Stamens 3. Stigma 3-fid. Sterile loculi of fruit usually very small.

The leaves of a single plant vary in size and shape, forming a series from the basal leaves to the bracts, the lower leaves being usually simple, wide, petiolate and entire, and the upper being divided, narrow, sessile and with toothed margins. Some species are strictly dioecious, some polygamous or occasionally dioecious, and others hermaphrodite. In several cases the breeding system is not fully known and cannot be ascertained with certainty from the floral morphology. In the strictly dioecious species the corollas of female plants are smaller than those of male plants. Measurements of corolla-tube refer to male or hermaphrodite flowers. Measurements of fruits exclude the calyx.

For an extensive review of the literature, see F. Weberling in G. Hegi, Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa ed. 2, 6(2): 131-172. München. 1970. 1 Corolla-tube 1-2 mm

2 Flowers white or pink

3 Cauline leaves several pairs, pinnatifid, or simple and ovate to obovate; flowers usually pink 9. dioica 3 Cauline leaves absent or 1 pair and linear; flowers white

15. saxatilis 2 Flowersbrownish,greenishoryellowish

4 Cauline leaves ovate-elliptical to deltate, crenate or with a few large, obtuse teeth 17. elongata 4 Cauline leaves oblanceolate to linear, entire 16. celtica 1 Corolla-tube more than 2 mm

5 Upper cauline leaves pinnatifid, pinnatisect or pinnate

6 Dioecious 9. dioica 6 Hermaphrodite or polygamous

7 Plant with tubers

8 Basal leaves reniform to orbicular, cordate at base

4. asarifolia 8 Basal leaves lanceolate to obovate, entire or pinnatifid, not cordate at base

9 Fruit glabrous or subglabrous on one surface, more than twice as long as wide 2. dioscoridis 9 Fruit hairy on both surfaces, about twice as long as wide 3. tuberosa 7 Plant without tubers

10 Basal leaves usually divided; bracteoles ±equalling fruit

1. officinalis 10 Basal leaves simple; bracteoles exceeding fruit

11 Terminal lobe of middle cauline leaves less than 0- 3 cm

wide; fruit c. 1 mm wide, square in section

7. globulariifolia 11 Terminal lobe of middle cauline leaves at least 0-3 cm

wide; fruit c. 2 mm wide, elliptical in section

(10-14). montana group 5 Uppercaulineleavessimple,3 -fidor3-foliolate

12 Inflorescence with fewer than 10 flowers; corolla-tube at least 6 mm 20. longiflora 12 Inflorescence with at least 10 flowers; corolla-tube less than 6 mm

13 Stems at least50 cm; basalleavesmorethan 5 cmwide

14 Upper cauline leaves with 1 -2 pairs ofleaflets, deeply and irregularly dentate 6. pyrenaica 14 Upper cauline leaves simple, crenate or shallowly dentate 5. alliariifolia 13 Stems lessthan50 cm; basalleaveslessthan 4 cmwide

15 Cauline leaves absent, or linear to lanceolate; fruit 5-6 mm

19. saliunca 15 Cauline leaves oblanceolate to ovate; fruit less than

5 mm

16 Stems usually less than 10 cm; calyx-teeth 6-12 mm,

conspicuous 18. supina 16 Stems usually at least 10 cm; calyx-teeth less than

6 mm, inconspicuous

17 Rhizome stout; fruit square in section 8. olenaea 17 Rhizome slender; fruit elliptical in section

18 Dioecious 9. dioica 18 Polygamous (10-14). montana group