Marsh Valerian

 

Scientific Name: Valeriana dioica L.
Family: Valerianaceae

 

MORPHOLOGY

 

Habit and Size: Perennial herbaceous plant.

 

Stem: Ascending or erect, tubular, glabrous, grooved, undivided up to the inflorescence.

 

Leaves: Basal leaves are entire, petiolate with an oval blade; cauline leaves are pinnately divided with 2-6 lateral segments (upper leaves).

 

Flowers: Inflorescence in cymes of cymes, unisexual flowers, pentamerous, actinomorphic, gamopetalous; petals range from white to pink. Male flowers are 3-3.5 mm, female flowers are 1-1.5 mm. Blooms from April to July.

 

Fruits and Seeds: The fruit is an ellipsoid nutlet, 2-3 mm, with a feathery pappus.

 

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT

 

Present throughout Italy, though rare due to the destruction of wetland habitats, found in bogs, marshes, wet meadows, moist woodlands, and peaty thickets, from 0 to 1,600 meters.

 

Photo Credits: Licensed freely from iNaturalist and Saxifraga, Jan van der Straaten, Ed Stikvoort, Hans Boll.