Fruit morphology in Valeriana species (Valerianaceae) from the southern Andes

Abstract

Achenes of the thirty seven Valerian specie from the southern Andes were described, illustrated and compared by scanning electron microscopy and stereomicroscopy. It is shown that the detailed analysis of the achenes provides excellent taxonomic characters (e.g. fruit shape, sterile locules development, fruit-coat surface) to distinguish among the southern Argentina and Chile taxa. Results are contrasted with the systematics of this genus. Four informal groups are established, and a key to the South-Andean species of Valerian is provide, based on achene morphology.