Valeriana rubra (synonym Centranthus ruber), the red valerian,[2]spur valerian,[3]kiss-me-quick,[3]fox's brush,[3]devil's beard[4] or Jupiter's beard,[3] is a popular garden plant grown for its ornamental flowers.
Valeriana rubra is a perennial plant, usually as a subshrub though it can take any form from a herbaceous plant to a shrub depending on conditions; the plants are usually woody at the base. The leaves are generally 5–8 cm in length. Their form changes from the bottom to the top of the plant, the lower leaves being petiolate while the upper leaves are sessile. The leaves grow in opposite pairs and are oval or lanceolate in shape. The plant flowers profusely, and though the individual flowers are small (no more than 2 mm), the inflorescences are large and showy. The flowers are small in rounded clusters each with 5 fused petals and a spur. The most typical color is a brick red or purplish red, but colors include deep crimson, pale pink, and lavender. Centranthus ruber 'Albus' (about 10% of individuals) has white blooms. Flowering takes place in early summer and, in cool summer areas, continues sporadically throughout the summer and into fall. The cultivar 'coccineus' is especially long-blooming. The blooms have a strong and somewhat rank scent. They are pollinated by both bees and butterflies and the plant is noted for attracting insects. It is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including angle shades. Seeds have tufts similar to dandelions that allow wind dispersal, and as such can self-seed freely and become invasive if not properly controlled.
Distributionedit
Growing atop old walls in Ireland
Valeriana rubra is native of the Mediterranean region, ranging from Portugal and Spain to France, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece and European Turkey, and from Morocco to Algeria and Tunisia.[1] It has been introduced into many other parts of the world as a garden escape. It is naturalised in France, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Isle of Man and the United States. In the US it can be found growing wild in such western states as Arizona, Utah, California, Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon, usually in disturbed, rocky places at elevations below 200 m. It is often seen by roadsides or in urban wasteland. It can tolerate very alkaline soil conditions. Because of its ability to tolerate alkaline conditions, Valeriana rubra can tolerate lime in mortar, and may frequently be seen growing on old walls in Italy, southern France and south-west UK.
White form ofShowing both petioled and sessile leaf forms.Three common colour forms of Valeriana rubra
Invasive speciesedit
It is listed as a NEMBA 1b invasive in the Western Cape, South Africa. It may not be owned, imported, grown, moved, sold, given as a gift or dumped in a waterway.[5][4][6] It requires compulsory control as part of an invasive species control programme to remove and destroy. The plants are deemed to have such a high invasive potential that infestations can qualify to be placed under a government sponsored invasive species management programme. No permits will be issued.[7]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valeriana rubra.
Jepson Manual species treatment
Entry in the Plants for a Future database
Images from the CalPhotos archive
January 01, 1970
valeriana, rubra, synonym, centranthus, ruber, valerian, spur, valerian, kiss, quick, brush, devil, beard, jupiter, beard, popular, garden, plant, grown, ornamental, flowers, scientific, classification, kingdom, plantae, clade, tracheophytes, clade, angiosperm. Valeriana rubra synonym Centranthus ruber the red valerian 2 spur valerian 3 kiss me quick 3 fox s brush 3 devil s beard 4 or Jupiter s beard 3 is a popular garden plant grown for its ornamental flowers Valeriana rubra Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Eudicots Clade Asterids Order Dipsacales Family Caprifoliaceae Genus Valeriana Species V rubra Binomial name Valeriana rubraL 1753 Synonyms 1 Centranthus latifolius Dufr 1811 Centranthus marinus Gray 1821 publ 1822 Centranthus maritimus DC 1830 Centranthus ruber L DC 1805 Centranthus ruber f albiflorus Merino 1904 nom nud Ocymastrum rubrum Kuntze 1891 Valeriana alba Mazziari 1834 Valeriana florida Salisb 1796 nom superfl Valeriana hortensis Garsault 1764 opus utique rej Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution 3 Invasive species 4 References 5 External linksDescription edit nbsp Closeup of inflorescence Valeriana rubra is a perennial plant usually as a subshrub though it can take any form from a herbaceous plant to a shrub depending on conditions the plants are usually woody at the base The leaves are generally 5 8 cm in length Their form changes from the bottom to the top of the plant the lower leaves being petiolate while the upper leaves are sessile The leaves grow in opposite pairs and are oval or lanceolate in shape The plant flowers profusely and though the individual flowers are small no more than 2 mm the inflorescences are large and showy The flowers are small in rounded clusters each with 5 fused petals and a spur The most typical color is a brick red or purplish red but colors include deep crimson pale pink and lavender Centranthus ruber Albus about 10 of individuals has white blooms Flowering takes place in early summer and in cool summer areas continues sporadically throughout the summer and into fall The cultivar coccineus is especially long blooming The blooms have a strong and somewhat rank scent They are pollinated by both bees and butterflies and the plant is noted for attracting insects It is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including angle shades Seeds have tufts similar to dandelions that allow wind dispersal and as such can self seed freely and become invasive if not properly controlled Distribution edit nbsp Growing atop old walls in Ireland Valeriana rubra is native of the Mediterranean region ranging from Portugal and Spain to France Italy former Yugoslavia Albania Greece and European Turkey and from Morocco to Algeria and Tunisia 1 It has been introduced into many other parts of the world as a garden escape It is naturalised in France Australia Great Britain Ireland Isle of Man and the United States In the US it can be found growing wild in such western states as Arizona Utah California Hawaii Washington and Oregon usually in disturbed rocky places at elevations below 200 m It is often seen by roadsides or in urban wasteland It can tolerate very alkaline soil conditions Because of its ability to tolerate alkaline conditions Valeriana rubra can tolerate lime in mortar and may frequently be seen growing on old walls in Italy southern France and south west UK nbsp White form of nbsp Showing both petioled and sessile leaf forms nbsp Three common colour forms of Valeriana rubraInvasive species editIt is listed as a NEMBA 1b invasive in the Western Cape South Africa It may not be owned imported grown moved sold given as a gift or dumped in a waterway 5 4 6 It requires compulsory control as part of an invasive species control programme to remove and destroy The plants are deemed to have such a high invasive potential that infestations can qualify to be placed under a government sponsored invasive species management programme No permits will be issued 7 References edit a b Valeriana rubra L Plants of the World Online Retrieved 30 April 2024 BSBI List 2007 xls Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland Archived from the original xls on 2015 06 26 Retrieved 2014 10 17 a b c d Valeriana rubra Germplasm Resources Information Network Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Retrieved 8 April 2015 a b Centranthus ruber Invasive Species Cape Town Invasives www capetowninvasives org za Archived from the original on 2016 08 25 Retrieved 2016 06 29 NEMBA Invasive Alien Species Regulations List published for public comment Archived from the original on 2016 08 08 Invasive Species South Africa Protecting Biodiversity from Invasion Red valerian Centranthus ruber Retrieved 2016 06 29 Invasive Alien Plant Alert SANBI www sanbi org Retrieved 2016 06 29 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valeriana rubra Jepson Manual species treatment Entry in the Plants for a Future database Images from the CalPhotos archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Valeriana rubra amp oldid 1221613088, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
