Valeriana

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Valeriana in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Valeriana (Latin valeo, to be strong, in allusion to medicinal uses). Valerianaceae. Valerian. Glabrous or rarely pubescent or villous perennial herbs, subshrubs, or shrubs, which are erect or scandent, most of them hardy and showy garden plants. Roots strong-smelling: lvs., especially the radical ones, entire or dentate, or the cauline or all pinnatifid or once-, twice-, or thrice-pinnatisect: cymes sometimes dense, few-fld. and terminal, or clustered in dense or interrupted spikes, sometimes laxly corymbosely or variously panicled: fls. small, white or rose; calyx-limb before anthesis not conspicuous, after flowering divided into 5-15 plumose-ciliate setae; corolla-tube attenuate at base, limb 5-cleft; stamens 3, rarely by abortion 1 or 2: fr. a compressed achene with the rear face 1-nerved, the front face 3-nerved.—About 265 species, mostly in the temperate and colder regions of the northern hemisphere but a few in the tropics and in the extra-tropical regions of the southern hemisphere. The valerians in the American trade are hardy perennials of easiest culture. Only V. officinalis is well known. This is one of the characteristic plants of old gardens, being prized for the spicy fragrance of its numerous flowers in spring. It spreads rapidly from suckers arising from the roots, soon forming large colonies. The common species are often grown from seeds. V. alba and V. rubra of the trade are no doubt Centranthus ruber. V. alba, Mass., is Centranthus ruber var. albus.—V. coccinea, Hort., is offered (Centranthus?).—V. coccinea alba, Hort., is offered in the trade.—V. Cornucopiae, Linn., is Fedia Cornucopiae.— V. macrosiphon, Vilm., is Centranthus macrosiphon.— V. rosea, Hort., is offered in the trade.—V. rubra, Linn., is Centranthus ruber. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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