Family:
Caprifoliaceae Juss.

Valerianella Mill.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is is to become a synonym of Valeriana.

[FTEA]

Valerianaceae, J. O. Kokwaro (East African Herbarium). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1968

Morphology General Habit
Annual (or biennial) herbs with dichasial branching, appearing dichotomous, but the terminal bud abortive in the lower branches, glabrous or pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Radical leaves sometimes forming a rosette, entire, petiolate to nearly sessile, undivided or dentate; cauline leaves often toothed, sometimes entire, connate, rarely incised-pinnatifid
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence a terminal, usually dichasial cyme subtended by lanceolate to oblong connate bracts
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers sessile, solitary, hermaphrodite (or unisexual), in the axils of lanceolate to oblong connate bracteoles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx-limb often short or obsolete during flowering state, becoming hardened or variously enlarged in fruit, erect, spreading or globose-inflated, regular or oblique, entire or 3–6-toothed, 3-horned or divided into recurved or hooked rigid awns, never plumose-setose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla funnel-shaped, narrowly campanulate or tubular, attenuated at the base, regular or sometimes gibbous, never spurred; limb 5-fid, spreading
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3, inserted towards the top of the corolla-tube, exserted; anthers 4-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style shortly or minutely 3-fid at the apex; stigma simple or shortly 3-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit an achene, oblanceolate to spathulate, glabrous to pubescent, 1-seeded, 3-locular, the 2 abaxial locules empty and ordinarily with a distinct groove between them.

[FIQ]

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2014) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 2: Lythraceae to Campanulaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Annual herbs, erect, glabrous or hairy, dichasially branched
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite, basal entire or sinuate-dentate ± sessile, upper leaves with few distinct teeth at base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, in head-like cymes, sometimes also solitary in forks of branches, white or pink
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx limb sometimes lacking or nearly so, often dentate or crown-like but never with feathery pappus
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla funnel-shaped, without spur, 5-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 3
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit an achene, 3-locular, with one fertile and two sterile cells.
Note
For accurate identification, fruiting material is necessary. The most reliable characters (observed through lens) are the shape of the calyx limb and the transverse section of fruits. Valerianella (from Valeriana, q.v. and -ella, diminutive suffix).
Distribution
About 80 species, mainly in the Mediterranean region. Fifteen species in Iraq, distributed mainly in the northern part of the country.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Bulgaria, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Krym, Kuwait, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, North Caucasus, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Spain, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya

Valerianella Mill. appears in other Kew resources:

First published in Gard. Dict. Abr. ed. 4: s.p. (1754)

Accepted by

  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1976). Flora Europaea 4: 1-505. Cambridge University Press.

Literature

Flora of Iraq

  • Mill, Gard. Dict., abr. ed. 4 (1754)

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Gard. Dict., Abridg. Ed. 4 [without pagination] (1754)

  • Flora of Iraq

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0