genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the family
Caprifoliaceae
The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and ea ...
, members of which may by commonly known as valerians. It contains many species, including the
garden valerian
Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly specie ...
, ''Valeriana officinalis''. Species are native to all continents except Antarctica, with centers of diversity in
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...
and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
(especially in the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
).
Fossil record
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
seeds of ''Valeriana sp,'' among them †''Valeriana pliocenica'', have been recovered from Late
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...
deposits of southern
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, from
Pliocene
The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
and
Bashkortostan
The Republic of Bashkortostan or Bashkortostan ( ba, Башҡортостан Республикаһы, Bashqortostan Respublikahy; russian: Республика Башкортостан, Respublika Bashkortostan),; russian: Респу́блик ...
in central Russia. The fossil seeds are most similar to the extant European ''Valeriana simplicifolia''.
Species
,
Plants of the World Online
Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
Valeriana aretioides
''Valeriana aretioides'' is a species of plant in the family Valerianaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland
A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ...
''
*''
Valeriana asterothrix
''Valeriana asterothrix'' is a species of plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forest
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpin ...
''
*''
Valeriana bertiscea
''Valeriana'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, members of which may by commonly known as valerians. It contains many species, including the garden valerian, ''Valeriana officinalis''. Species are native to all contine ...
''
*''
Valeriana buxifolia
''Valeriana buxifolia'' is a species of plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is endemic to Ecuador.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland
A grassland ...
''
*''
Valeriana californica
''Valeriana californica'' is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common name California valerian. It is native to Oregon, northeastern California, and Nevada, where it occurs in moist, forested mountain habitat. It ...
''
*''
Valeriana celtica
''Valeriana celtica'' is a species of plant in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is also known as Alpine valerian and valerian spikenard. It is endemic to the Eastern Alps (''V. celtica'' subsp. ''norica'') and to the Graian and Pennine Alps. It ...
Valeriana dioica
''Valeriana dioica'', the marsh valerian, is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Valeriana
''Valeriana'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, members of which may by commonly known as valerians. It contains many ...
'' (marsh valerian)
*''
Valeriana edulis
''Valeriana edulis'', the tobacco root or edible valerian, a species in the family Caprifoliaceae, is a dioecious perennial flowering plant native to western and central North America. Despite its common name, tobacco root is not closely relate ...
''
*''
Valeriana fauriei
''Valeriana'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, members of which may by commonly known as valerians. It contains many species, including the garden valerian, ''Valeriana officinalis''. Species are native to all contine ...
'' (Korean valerian)
*''
Valeriana montana
''Valeriana'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, members of which may by commonly known as valerians. It contains many species, including the garden valerian, ''Valeriana officinalis''. Species are native to all contine ...
Valeriana officinalis
Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly specie ...
'' (garden valerian)
*''
Valeriana pauciflora
''Valeriana pauciflora'', commonly called the largeflower valerian, is a flowering plant species in the family Caprifoliaceae. It is native to the Eastern United States, where it is found in the regions of the Interior Low Plateau, the Ohio Riv ...
Valeriana officinalis
Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly specie ...