A PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDY OF VALERIANA STUBENDORFI KREYER

Valerian root has been long established in European medicine as a sedative. Several species of the genus Valerians are found growing wild in the northeastern provinces of China; their rhizome and root have been used for the preparation of the tincture of Valerian in recent years in these provinces. Among these species, Valeriana stubendorfi Kreyer is most abundant in the province of Liaoning. This paper gives detailed descriptions of the plant and the macroscopical and microscopical characters of the rhizome and root of V. stubendorfi collected in several districts in the stated province. The important characters of the structure of the root and rhizome of Valerians stubendorfi are: (1) all the parenchymatous cells are filled with starch grains; (2) the cortex of the root contains secretory cells with yellowish brown resin; (3) the epidermis of the root has papillose root hairs; (4) the cells of the epidermis and hypodermis contain small globules of volatile oil; (5) sclereid cells in cortex exist near the endodermis; (6) vessels are mostly pitted; (7) the pith of the rhizome has scattered stone cells and groups of stone cells surrounded by suberized cells.