Valeriana is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, members of which may by commonly known as valerians. It contains many species, including the garden valerian, Valeriana officinalis. Species are native to all continents except Antarctica, with centers of diversity in Eurasia and South America (especially in the Andes). Fossil record Fossil seeds of Valeriana sp, among them †Valeriana pliocenica, have been recovered from Late Miocene deposits of southern Ukraine, from Pliocene deposits of south-eastern Belarus and Bashkortostan in central Russia. The fossil seeds are most similar to the extant European Valeriana simplicifolia. Species , Plants of the World Online accepts over 420 species and hybrids, including: Valeriana alypifolia Valeriana aretioides Valeriana asterothrix Valeriana bertiscea Valeriana buxifolia Valeriana californica Valeriana celtica (Alpine valerian or valerian spikenard) Valeriana cernua Valeriana coleophylla Valeriana dioica (marsh valerian) Valeriana edulis Valeriana fauriei (Korean valerian) Valeriana montana Valeriana occidentalis Valeriana officinalis (garden valerian) Valeriana pauciflora Valeriana pyrenaica (Pyrenean valerian) Valeriana secunda Valeriana sitchensis (Sitka valerian) Valeriana uliginosa Gallery References External links USDA records of the distribution of the genus in the United States Caprifoliaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus