Participant Info

Species

Valeriana edulis [Valeriana trachycarpa]

Family

Caprifoliaceae [Valerianaceae]

CommonName

tobacco root, edible valerian

Presence

YES

Status

native

EarliestDate

1898

LatestDate

2017

Ecosystem

shrubland, foothill, montane, subalpine, tundra

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos, LBasin

Counties

Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan

Passes

Carnero, La Veta, Medano, South, Stony, Wolf Creek

WildlifePreserves

Baca, Big Meadows Reservoir, Brown Lakes

Other Localities

PhotoRecords

YES Rich Haswell: Hinsdale Co, North Clear Creek Falls meadow 20 June 2017

Comments

This most common valerian of the Waterhed prefers open mesic meadows and forest openings, but adapts to other damp habitats such as soil pockets in talus slopes. The Lower Basin records are from the Conejos River bottom. Valeriana edulis follows the Rio Grande drainage south through New Mexico nearly to the border with Mexico. This is a western USA plant, absent, however, from California and present around the Great Lakes in scattered locations. Note that the roots of Valeriana edilis are indeed edible, as the Amerindians taught the first European explorers, although cooks today often invent elaborate methods to rid it of its odor.

Annotation