Cornsalads
What are they?
The cornsalads are a group of small and often easily overlooked plants that are quite closely related to the valerians and thus have recently found themselves placed in an enlarged honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae), along with scabiouses, valerians and teasels. Traditionally they have been placed in their own genus, Valerianella, but recent taxonomic research placed them into a broader Valeriana genus. These little plants have sometimes been eaten as salad greens in the past and are often referred to as lamb's lettuce.
Where are they found?
These are plants of lightly disturbed ground, on field margins and in gardens and allotments, as well as in urban and suburban habitats in rough corners, walls and areas of waste ground.
Identification
Cornsalads as a group are fairly easy to identify with their heads of white flowers often tinged light blue or pink and with lush green, opposite leaves. identification to species can be much more difficuly, however and is based largely on the fruits, meaning identification can be difficult or impossible if fruits are not present.
Common Cornsalad Valeriana locusta
Native. Rather patchily distributed, being absent from some areas but common in others and can form large colonies in favoured places, especially in coastal dunes. Flowers April to June. A small plant, typically ranging from 2-40cm in height, with a many-branched cluster of flowering stems that are rather soft and succulent. Flowers with five petals, fused together towards the base, white, or with a pale blue or pinkish flush to them. Ripe fruits 1.8-2.5mm long, rotund in one plane, flattened in the other, hairless or lightly hairy, smooth or with a vertical wrinkle.
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Keel-fruited Cornsalad Valeriana carinata
An ancient introduction, formerly rather scarce in disturbed and arable ground, but more recently has been increasing in urban areas, especially around Norwich and Cambridge. Flowers April to June. Ripe fruits 2.0-2.7mm long, distinctly oblong in outline, hairless or lightly hairy, smooth or with a vertical wrinkle.
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Narrow-fruited Cornsalad Valeriana dentata
An ancient introduction, once more frequent but now rare and considered endangered. Confined to light sandy soils with most records from the Suffolk Sandlings and from Breckland northward on the West Norfolk greensand ridge. Flowers June to July. Ripe fruits 1.5-2.0mm long, flask or narrowly onion-shaped, sometimes hairless but more often roughly hairy, lightly veined.
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