genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s in the family
Caprifoliaceae
The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species in 33 to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and easte ...
, members of which may be commonly known as valerians. It contains many species, including the
garden valerian
Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Eurasia. It produces a catnip-like response in cats.
Crude extracts of valerian root may have sedative and anxiolytic effects; however, the clinical ...
, ''Valeriana officinalis''. ''Valeriana'' has centers of diversity in
Eurasia
Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
(especially in the
Andes
The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...
), and is represented by native species on all continents except Antarctica.
Some species have been introduced to parts of the world outside their native range, including ''
Valeriana rubra
''Valeriana rubra'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Centranthus ruber''), the red valerian, spur valerian, kiss-me-quick, fox's brush, devil's beard or Jupiter's beard, is a popular gardening, garden plant grown for its Ornamental plant, ornamental ...
'' in the western United States and ''
Valeriana macrosiphon
''Valeriana macrosiphon'', also commonly called long-spurred valerian, is a herb of the family Caprifoliaceae.
The erect annual herb typically grows to a height of . It blooms in spring and early summer producing pink-red-white flowers.
The spe ...
'' in
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
.
Taxonomy
The genus was named by
Carl Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...
after the
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
emperor
Publius Licinius Valerianus
Valerian ( ; ; – 260 or 264) was Roman emperor from 253 to spring 260 AD. Valerian is known as the first Roman emperor to have been taken captive in battle, captured by the Persian emperor Shapur I after the Battle of Edessa, causing shock ...
who was said to use the plant as medicine. The emperor's personal name comes from '' Valeria'' and the Latin verb ''valeo'' which means "to be strong".
32 previously recognized genera, including ''Centranthus'', ''Fedia'', and ''Plectritis'', are now considered synonyms of ''Valeriana''. Species in the former genus ''Centranthus'' are unusual in having flowers with "handedness", that is, having neither radial nor bilateral symmetry.
Botany
Valeriana species are herbaceous perennials with woody roots, producing stems bearing fine hairs and trifoliolate,
pinnate
Pinnation (also called pennation) is the arrangement of feather-like or multi-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis. Pinnation occurs in biological morphology, in crystals, such as some forms of ice or metal crystals, and ...
leaves with serrated edges.The flowers are borne in
cymes
In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a main axis ( ped ...
Drying leads to plant material developing a strong, musky odour which has been likened to that of the scent glands of male cats.
Fossil record
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
seeds of ''Valeriana sp,'' among them †''Valeriana pliocenica'', have been recovered from Late
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
deposits of southern
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
, and from
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
and
Bashkortostan
Bashkortostan, officially the Republic of Bashkortostan, sometimes also called Bashkiria, is a republic of Russia between the Volga river and the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. The republic borders Perm Krai to the north, Sverdlovsk Oblast ...
in central Russia. The fossil seeds are most similar to the extant European ''Valeriana simplicifolia'' (a subspecies of ''
Valeriana dioica
''Valeriana dioica'', the marsh valerian, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to North America, Europe and Anatolia. It is typically found in calcareous fens. It is a dioecious species, with male and female flower ...
'').
Species
,
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
History
Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...
accepts over 435 species and hybrids, including:
*''
Valeriana alypifolia
''Valeriana alypifolia'' is a species of plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), ...
''
*''
Valeriana amazonum
''Valeriana amazonum'' is a species of plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is endemic to Italy.
Distribution
''Valeriana amazonum'' occurs in eastern Sardinia, and is only found on Mount Oliena, at about in elevation.
Its natural habitats a ...
Valeriana cernua
''Valeriana cernua'' is a species of plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dom ...
Valeriana dioica
''Valeriana dioica'', the marsh valerian, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to North America, Europe and Anatolia. It is typically found in calcareous fens. It is a dioecious species, with male and female flower ...
'' – marsh valerian
*''
Valeriana edulis
''Valeriana edulis'', commonly known as edible valerian or tobacco root, is a species of flowering plant native to North America in the family Caprifoliaceae. Three subspecies with geographically disjunct distributions are recognized:Meyer, F. G ...
Valeriana macrosiphon
''Valeriana macrosiphon'', also commonly called long-spurred valerian, is a herb of the family Caprifoliaceae.
The erect annual herb typically grows to a height of . It blooms in spring and early summer producing pink-red-white flowers.
The spe ...
Valeriana officinalis
Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Eurasia. It produces a catnip-like response in cats.
Crude extracts of valerian root may have sedative and anxiolytic effects; however, the clinical ...
Valeriana rubra
''Valeriana rubra'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonym ''Centranthus ruber''), the red valerian, spur valerian, kiss-me-quick, fox's brush, devil's beard or Jupiter's beard, is a popular gardening, garden plant grown for its Ornamental plant, ornamental ...
'' – red valerian
*''
Valeriana secunda
''Valeriana secunda'' is a species of plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), d ...
Valeriana officinalis
Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Eurasia. It produces a catnip-like response in cats.
Crude extracts of valerian root may have sedative and anxiolytic effects; however, the clinical ...
''
File:Valeriana montana Atlas Alpenflora.jpg, '' V. montana''