Valeriana, Linnaeus, 1753

Rabuske-Silva, Cassio & Iganci, João Ricardo Vieira, 2019, Valeriana sobraliana (Valerianaceae), a new species from Southern Brazil, Phytotaxa 423 (1), pp. 10-20 : 18

Identification key to the species of Valeriana in the state of Paraná

1. Erect or decumbent species; achenes with vestigial, annular or slightly dentate calyx.....................................................................2

- Voluble or climbering species; achenes with pappus-like calyx ...................................................................................... V. scandens

2. Subshrubs, rhizomes woody; distal leaves elliptic to lanceolate with dentate margins, teeth larger than 1 mm long; achenes winged; inhabit rocky outcrops, humid slopes and ravines..............................................................................................................................3

- Herbs, rhizomes herbaceous; distal leaves linear with entire margins, eventually with small teeth, up to 0.5 mm long; achenes nonwinged; restricted to peat bogs and streams ................................................................................................................ V. salicariifolia

3. Leaves with sessile or attenuate base; staminate flowers up to 2 mm long; pistillate flowers up to 0.5 mm long; achenes up to 1.8 mm long with rounded apex...............................................................................................................................................................4

- Leaves petiolate; staminate flowers 3.3 mm long; pistillate flowers 1.3–1.6 mm long; achenes 2.4–3.4 mm with emarginate to valeculate apex ............................................................................................................................................................... V. sobraliana

4. Leaves coriaceous, wrinkled in dry material; inflorescences with paniculiform paracladia; achenes elliptic-globose, up to 1.5 × 1 mm, 5-costate, with annular to dentate calyx ................................................................................................................. V. eichleriana

- Leaves chartaceous, never wrinkled in dry material; inflorescences with glomeruliform paracladia; achenes globose, larger than 1.8 × 1.6 mm, 3-costate, with vestigial calyx..................................................................................................................... V. reitziana