Family |
Caprifoliaceae
Valeriana italica
Lam.
Valeriana italica Lam.
First published in Tabl. Encycl. 1: 92 (1791).
(Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 3, p. 322, Pl. CLXV, 1; 1983)
Description
Life-form & habit: Robust perennial, 30–100 cm tall, with several swollen, turnip-shaped root branches tapering at their ends. The stem is thick, hollow and cylindrical.
Leaves: Basal leaves long-stalked and usually lyrate, with an enlarged terminal segment; the lowest may be entire and oblong-elliptic. Stem leaves are pinnate with 3–7 pairs of toothed or wavy-scalloped segments, the terminal segment often larger. Uppermost leaves are linear.
Inflorescence & flowers: Many-flowered terminal clusters, sometimes much branched, become loose in fruit. Flowers pale pink, with a corolla tube about as long as the limb.
Fruit: Flattened, crowned by the persistent calyx, which expands into a feathery pappus.
Flowering and habitat
Phenology: Flowering January–April.
Habitat & elevation: Somewhat shaded places, especially scrub and woodland.
Distribution
Lebanese distribution: Antelias, Nahr Beirut, Maameltein, Nahr Beirut dam, Nahr el Kelb, Bahsas, Bikfaya, Abey, Lahfed, Bchela, Ehden and its forest, Hadeth cedars, Sannine, Zahle, Chaara of Baalbeck, Hasbani, Akkar mountains, Bqaatouta and Zabbougha.
Syrian distribution: Qadmous, Slenfe and above its cedars, Cassius, Kessab, Wadi el Qarn and Babeska.
Native range: Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Greece, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe.
⚠️ Taxonomic note:
Mouterde treats this species as Valeriana dioscoridis, expressing doubt about the use of V. italica. Kew now places V. dioscoridis Sm. in synonymy under V. italica Lam.