VALERIANA ASARIFOLIA

Family and Genus:- See- VALERIANACEAE

Common Names:- Cretan valerian

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Valeriana (L) Health.

Asarifolia (L) Asarum-leaved.

General description:- Glabrous perennial with a short, tuberous rhizome.

Stems:-

1) 25-50 cm tall, erect, usually simple, glabrous, unbranched, stout (up to 15

mm, in diam. below), fistulose.

Leaves:-

1) Basal, long-petiolate;

a) lamina, simple or occasionally with 1 or 2 small, irregular lobes at the base,

4--12 cm wide, suborbicular, entire or slightly crenate, cordate at the base.

2) Cauline, 1 or 2 pairs, much smaller than the basal, deeply pinnatifrid into linear

-oblong lobes

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, usually dense and subcapitate.

2) Corolla, narrowly infundibuliform, c. 8 mm, 5-lobed, slightly gibbose at the base,

white or usually flushed pink.

3) Stamens, 3.

Fruit:-

1) 4-5 mm, pubescent.

Key features:-

1) Corolla, narrowly infundibuliform, slightly gibbose at the base.

3) Basal leaves, reniform to orbicular, cordate at the base.

Click here for a glossary of terms used

Habitat:- Somewhat damp, shady places in gorges, cliff ledges, road

embankments, olive groves and dolines. 0-1500m.

Distribution:- Endemic Crete, Karpathos and Antikythera. Widespread and

common on Crete.

Flowering time:- Late Mar to early June.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton