Valeriana scandens L.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro. 2005. Vines and climbing plants of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Contr. U. S. Natl. Herb. 51: 1-483.

  • Family

    Caprifoliaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Valeriana scandens L.

  • Description

    Description - Herbaceous vine, twining, attaining 2-3 m in length. Stems cylindrical, glabrous or puberulent at the nodes. Leaves opposite, trifoliolate; leaflets 1.3-6 x 0.8-2.2 cm (terminal leaflet larger than the lateral ones), membranaceous, glabrous, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, the apex acuminate, the base obtuse, rounded, or truncate, the margins entire or erenate, the venation slightly prominent on both surfaces; petioles slender, 1.2-3 cm long. Flowers in dichasial or pseudodichotomous cymes with lateral monochasia. Hypanthium ovoid, ca. 1 mm long, crowned by 10-12 filiform sepals; corolla narrowly campanulate, 1.3-1.8 mm long, the lobes 0.2-0.4 mm long; stamens included; style ca. 1 mm long, with three short stigmatic branches. Achene flattened, ribbed, ovate, ca. 2.5 mm long, crowned by a tuft of plumose sepals, ca. 4 mm long.

    Phenology - Collected in flower from November to May and in fruit in March

    Conservation Status -

  • Common Names

    valeriana