Description:

• Annual or perennial herbs, rarely subshrubs, odoriferous
• Leaves opposite, often radical or crowded at base of stem, with cauline ones few, small or absent; entire, toothed or up to three times pinnatisect; stipules 0
• Flowers bisexual or unisexual by abortion, irregular, in dichotomous cymes, dense, laxly corymbose or panicled; bracts present; bracteoles usually absent
• Calyx often small, sometimes obsolete, sometimes enlarging as flowers mature and then variously lobed and lobes sometimes feathery
• Corolla gamopetalous; limb 5-lobed, equal, oblique or 2-lipped; lobes imbricate; tube often attenuated at base, sometimes gibbous or spurred at base, often widened at throat
• Stamens 3, arising on corolla tube, alternating with corolla lobes, often exserted; anthers versatile, opening by longitudinal slits
• Ovary inferior, 3-locular, but 2 locules aborting, only 1 producing a single, pendulous, anatropous, unitegmic ovule; style linear, filiform or terete; stigma divided into 3 short lobes
• Fruit dry, resembling an achene, crowned with the sometimes enlarged calyx

Nomenclature:

• Valerianaceae
  • Sonder: 39 (1865) as Valerianeae
  • Kokwaro: 1 (1968)
  • Cannon: 75 (1983)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global: Genera ± 15, species ± 400, cosmopolitan, especially north temperate regions
• Southern Africa: Genera 2, species 2

References:

• CANNON, J.F.M. 1983. Valerianaceae. Flora zambesiaca 7,1
• KOKWARO, J.O. 1968. Flora of tropical East Africa. Valerianaceae
• SONDER, W. 1865. Valerianeae. Flora capensis 3

Resources:

• Key to Valerianaceae genera

• Valerianaceae genera: