PYRENEAN VALERIAN

Valeriana pyrenaica

Valerian Family [Valerianaceae]

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug

status
statusZneophyte
flower
flower8pink
inner
inner8white
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZ5
type
typeZumbel
type
typeZclustered
stem
stem8round

30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
At up to 1.2m it is slightly shorter than Common Valerian which reaches as high as 2m.


30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Used as a garden plant, but now naturalised.


10th May 2014, Jedburgh, Northumberland. Photo: © Colin Watson
Likes damp ground, but is never actually in the water unless a flood occurs.


10th May 2014, Jedburgh, Northumberland. Photo: © Colin Watson
Flowers (which are in dense compound cymes - resembling umbels) are more pink than Common Valerian, even after opening (but most here are still closed).


10th May 2014, Jedburgh, Northumberland. Photo: © Colin Watson
Un-like Common Valerian the leaves are ovate to cordate and some are sub-orbicular (flat and elliptical). They are dentately (concavely) toothed.


18th May 2014, Roslin Glen, Midlothian. Photo: © James Ferguson
The upper stem leaves usually have one or two smaller lateral leaflets, similar in profile to the other leaves.


30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Opened flowers are still mostly pink, only the stamens and anthers are white.


30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Five pink petals.


30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Petals rounded.


30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Stamens and anthers are white.


18th May 2014, Roslin Glen, Midlothian. Photo: © James Ferguson
Unopened flower buds a darker shade of pink.


10th May 2014, Jedburgh, Northumberland. Photo: © Colin Watson
Leaves here are cordate.


30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Some leaves have one or two pairs of opposite lateral leaflets nearer the main stem.


30th May 2014, Barlow, Lancs. Photo: © RWD
Just below the flower 'umbel' (cyme) are an opposite pair of much narrower leaves, which may or may not have one or two pairs of smaller side-lobes at right-angles to the leaf axis and nearer the main stem. This one doesn't.


Some similarities to : Hemp-agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) but that has longer narrower leaves similar to those of Hemp (Cannabis sativa).

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : Similar to Common Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) but with pink flowers and large cordate to elliptical leaves which are heavily and dentately toothed, the upper stem leaves often having one or two pairs of smaller but similarly shaped lateral leaflets.

Native to the Pyrenees and non-native to the UK, they were introduced and now naturalised in damp woods and shady hedgebanks in the south of Scotland and very scattered elsewhere.


  Valeriana pyrenaica  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Valerianaceae  

Distribution
 family8Valerian family8Valerianaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Valeriana
Valeriana
(Valerians)

PYRENEAN VALERIAN

Valeriana pyrenaica

Valerian Family [Valerianaceae]