Scouler valerian, a smooth perennial herb having densely clustered, 

 white or pinkish flowers and stout, horizontal, strong-scented root- 

 stocks, is characteristic of the more palatable species of Valeriana. 

 Because of the pleasing fragrance of its flowers, this species is some- 

 times referred to as sweet-scented valerian. Some American botanists 

 have confused this plant with Sitka valerian (F. sitchensis) of 

 Alaska, but the best present-day botanical opinion is that F. sitchen- 

 sis does not extend southward into the United States, and that the 

 plants so listed by United States authors are actually F. scouleri. 

 The latter species was named in honor of Dr. John Scouler, who, 

 with David Douglas, discovered it on moist rocks and islands of the 

 Columbia River. 



Scouler valerian is a plant of the Northwest and northern Rockies, 

 being distributed from British Columbia and Alberta to Oregon, 

 Idaho, and Montana. It typically grows in the fertile soils of moist 

 woodlands, aspen stands, and willow patches, under lodgepole pine 

 and Engelmann spruce-alpine fir forests, along stream banks and 

 in mountain parks and meadows. In the Northwest, it is one of 

 the most characteristic plants on old burns of the higher timber 

 types. Although preferring deep, rich, moist soils, this plant also 

 appears on well-drained, relatively dry sites. It ranges from rather 

 low elevations in the humid forests west of the Cascade Mountains 

 in Oregon and Washington up to timber line. Scouler valerian is 

 usually scattered thinly over the range in mixture with other herba- 

 ceous vegetation, and but seldom abundant or dominant. 



This species is regarded as a valuable forage plant, usually being- 

 rated as fair to fairly good for cattle and good to very good for 

 sheep. On burns covered with dead and down timber, sheep seek 

 and graze it with great relish. The foliage is extremely tender and 

 succulent early in the season, when the plants are frequently eaten 

 down to the ground ; later in the summer only the leaves and flowers 

 are consumed. Both deer and elk graze this plant. 



Scouler valerian reproduces by means of both seed and rootstocks, 

 with the seed crop maturing from approximately mid- August until 

 the end of the growing season. In the higher sites, some individual 

 plants never reach maturity, while those which do mature produce 

 seed of rather low viability. The stout rootstocks with their inter- 

 twining mass of fibrous roots enable the plants to survive even heavy 

 grazing fairly well. The roots are reputed to have medicinal prop- 

 erties similar to those of its well-known sister species, common 

 valerian (F. oflicina^lis}. 



Western valerian (F. occidenta'lis, syn. F. aeuiUo'oa) is one of 

 the most important and widespread species on the range. It much 

 resembles Scouler valerian in gross appearance and habitat re- 

 quirements, but is slightly less palatable, usually being rated as 

 poor for cattle and fairly good for sheep. It differs from Scouler 

 valerian in that its flowers have shorter corolla tubes and its leaves 

 have entire or only very slightly wavy margins. Western valerian 

 is distributed from British Columbia and Montana to New Mexico. 



