Valerian Family [Valerianaceae] |
status
flower
flower
flower
inner
morph
petals
type
type
longstem
smell
scent
9th June 2016, Deganwy, Llandudno, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Comes in 3 shades of 'red': bright red, white and the half-way house pink. |
9th June 2016, Deganwy, Llandudno, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Up until the 2000's or so Red Valerian was a more of a near-the-sea plant, but now it is spreading well inland. However, these are still near the sea. |
9th June 2016, Deganwy, Llandudno, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
Some specimens can grow very tall! Some of these must be something like 2m tall. |
15th July 2005, Warton Fell, Carnforth. | Photo: © RWD |
About 80cm tall, growing in small clumps. White Form. |
15th July 2005, Warton Fell, Carnforth. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves pale green and pointed oval in shape. White Form |
15th July 2005, Warton Fell, Carnforth. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowers zygomorphic in form, bilaterally symmetric with five equal-lengthened lobes resembling those of Pyramidal Orchid, except that there are 4 + 1 lobes, rather than the 3 + 1 lobes of Pyramidal Orchid. Note the long parallel-sided white spurs behind the petals pointing down deep into the flower head. White Form |
4th May 2005, Offas Dyke Path, Prestatyn. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves light green, somewhat glaucous, with prominent lighter veins. They are broad lanceolate and in pairs up the stem, the upper ones stalkless and almost clasping the stem, the lower ones on short stalks. Red Form |
27th May 2005, Chinley, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Red Form |
27th May 2005, Chinley, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Red Form |
25th June 2005, Peak Forest Canal, Furness Vale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Pinky Red Form |
25th June 2005, Peak Forest Canal, Furness Vale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Pinky Red Form
Unusually amongst plants, Red Valerian has but 1 stamen and 1 stigma, as do all Centranthusspecies. Since each flower has two long thin protrusions from the long spur at the rear, your Author presumes one to be the stamen and the other to be the stigma. |
25th June 2005, Peak Forest Canal, Furness Vale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Pink Form |
25th June 2005, Peak Forest Canal, Furness Vale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Pink Form |
25th June 2005, Peak Forest Canal, Furness Vale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
Pink Form |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
Flowering head elongates and opens out when about to set seed. Topper-most still has flowers with spurs, the rest has turned to seed. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The reason why the alternative name of Red Valerian is 'Spur Valerian': the long spurs are not normally visible in the dense flower head, but here the lower part is turning to seed. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The seed head of a white variety. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The seed head of a red variety. Note the reddish flower stalks. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
Each flower turns to one seed capsule with a folded parachute attached to the top. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The parachutes unfurl. Note the narrow, pointed, red bracts or stipules on the stems. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
A seed capsule with an open parachute atop. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The parachute is like a shuttlecock with a fan of 20 or so white strands. Attached to each are feather-like hairs to catch the wind and take away the seed capsule. |
11th July 2012, yet another Salford car park! Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
The leaves of a young plant. |
Some similarities to : Hemp-agrimony and to Common Valerian. Red Valerian is a Mediterranean species introduced to the UK before 1600. It comes in red, pink and white strains, plus a much rarer cream variety. It is fragrant, smelling of scent. Fully naturalised in dry places on walls, rocks, cliffs, alkaline or sand banks, and quarries, especially near the sea. Flower heads are flattish to curved at first, becoming domed a while later and finally elongating and opening out before turning to seed, when the petals and spurs fall off. Later the seed capsule un-furls its integral parachute to be carried off on the wind to seed other places just like Dandelion seeds do. The spur at the rear of the flower is short.
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Centranthus | ruber | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Valerianaceae |
Centranthus (Valerians) |
Valerian Family [Valerianaceae] |