ABSTRACT
THERE are possibly 300 species of Valeriana, but only three species are used commonly as phytomedicines. These are Valeriana officinalis L. or valerian, a Eurasian member of the Valerianaceae, V. wallichii of India and Pakistan and V. edulis of Mexico. Clinical efficacy has been shown mainly for V. officialis. The Latin name is a reference to valere or well-being and officinalis to its recognized use as a medicinal plant. V. officinalis is a polymorphous complex subspecies with populations dispersed over temperate and subpolar Eurasian zones (Bradley, 1992). Differences in phytochemical constituents have been documented for the subspecies (Titz et al., 1982, 1983). Since we are mostly concerned with V. officinalis in this review, this species will henceforth be referred to as valerian.
