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[Wiki]-2Family: Valerianaceae - Valerian
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Combined with Monotropa uniflora as a sleep aid. See M. uniflora for more details. [Ryan Drum]
"Annual, glabrous to subglabrous. Stem: generally erect, 5–80 cm, ×-section generally angled, branches 0–few. Leaf: simple, basal and cauline, opposite, generally entire; basal short-petioled, spoon-shaped; cauline generally sessile, oblong to ovate or obovate. Inflorescence: clustered, head-like or interrupted spike, terminal; bracts palmately divided into 3–5 linear segments. Flower: calyx 0; corolla 2-lipped to ± radial and funnel-shaped, white to dark pink, tube base generally spurred; stamens 3. Fruit: achene; body ± triangular, 2–4 mm, strongly winged or not, wings lateral, wide, ± glabrous to densely hairy.
5 species: western North America, southwestern South America. (Greek: spur) [Morey 1962 Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford Univ] Self-fertile; large-flowered taxa cross- and
self-pollinated, small flowered taxa self-pollinated only. Wing shape, color, hairiness vary in some species." [Jepson]
W. Foerster et al., 1984
"In 1966, Thies and Funke (1,2) demonstrated the presence of a new class of natural products known as the valepotriates (ester iridoids). Based on pharmacological experiments, the valepotriates were determined to be the major constituents in the sedative effect of valerian preparations (3, 4). Recently, the valepotriates have also been shown to exhibit cytotoxic and antitumor activities (5). The valepotriates have been found exclusively in the family Valerianaceae with high concentrations present in the roots or rhizomes (6, 7). There are also reports of the production of valepotriates in tissue cultures (8). The increasing use of valerian preparations as weak sedatives (9) have accelerated investigations within the family of Valerianaceae to find new high yielding sources of valepotriates." W. Foerster et al., 1984
"Prior to our investigation, no phytochemical research had been conducted on valepotriates in the North American Genus Plectritis. This genus contains four species of annual herbs native to the Pacific coast of North America, and one species native to Chile. Because of the close resemblance in general appearance among the species, there have been several taxonomic classifications (10). In our phytochemical investigation, we refer to the different species and subspecies as mentioned in the most recent treatment of the genus Plectritis by F. Ganders (11, 12)." W. Foerster et al., 1984
"Although the total yields are not very high, the presence of the valepotriates in the genus is of chemotaxonomical value. The variation of the concentrations within a particular species might be helpful in the species delimitations within the genus. This is especially true in the case of Plectritis brachystemon ssp. nidita which, according to F. Ganders (12), is another fruitform of Plectritis brachystemon. The relatively high yields of valtrate (.04%) and homovaltrate (.03 %) in the subspecies nitida necessitates a taxonomic revision. The significance and usefulness of valepotnates as chemotaxonomical characters within the genus Plectritis is limited, but further analysis considering flavonoids and other secondary metabolites as well might prove more useful." W. Foerster et al., 1984
"As noted in Table I, valepotriates are present in all aerial parts of Plectritis con gesta and Valeriana sitchensis ssp. scouleri. The amounts present in Valeriana sitchensis ssp. scouleri are similar to the concentrations detected earlier in the roots of Valeriana officinalis (6). However, no valepotriates were found in the aerial parts of Valeriana officinalis (17, 18). Our results suggest that valepotriates are present in all plant parts, and their detection is just a matter of the sensitivity of the analytical method chosen." W. Foerster et al., 1984