VALERIANACEAE

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 : 48

CLXVI. VALERIANACEAE 2

Annual to perennial herbs, sometimes woody at the base. Leaves opposite, whorled or basal, exstipulate. Flowers in bracteate, often dense cymes, hermaphrodite or unisexual, usually zygomorphic. Calyx variously developed, usually toothed. Corolla infundibuliform, the tube sometimes saccate or spurred below, the limb with (3-)5 more or less unequal lobes. Stamens 1-4, usually inserted near base of corolla-tube, alternating with the corolla-lobes. Ovary inferior, 3-locular, one loculus with 1 pendent ovule, the other two sterile, sometimes very small. Fruit dry, indéhiscent, usually with a persistent, often accrescent calyx; seed endospermic, with straight embryo.

In descriptions, the term ‘partial inflorescences’ denotes the ultimate discrete portions of the whole inflorescence. 1 Corolla-tube spurred near the base or prominently gibbous near the middle; stamen 1 5. Centranthus 1 Corolla-tube not spurred, not or obscurely gibbous; stamens 2-4

2 Dichotomously branched annual

3 Stamens 3, free; corolla-tube not more than twice as long as limb 2. Valerianella 3 Stamens 2, or 3 of which 2 are connate; corolla-tube more than twice as long as limb 3. Fedia 2 Perennial,notdichotomouslybranched

4 Calyx-teeth plumose in fruit; stamens 3 4. Valeriana 4 Calyx-teeth not plumose in fruit; stamens 4 1. Patrinia