Valeriana ceratophylla

Valeriana ceratophylla is a perennial plant that can grow tall, but usually not taller than . It grows from a taproot that is round at the top and taping downwards like a turnip to somewhat tapering at the top and often forking. The root can be as much as thick, but more usually is less than . The caudex is 2–4 cm long and covered in the remains of leaf bases from past years and the brown stems of the present season. Most of its leaves are basal leaves, springing directly from the base of the plant, with only occasional leaves on the stems. They are twice divided pinnate leaves like that of a fern. They are attached by leaf stems that measures 1–7 cm long while the blade of the leaf is long and wide. The fused flower petals are form a bell shape about 5 millimeters long. They are white to somewhat pink in color and have silky hairs in the throat of the flower. It can flower as early as June or as late as September. ==Taxonomy==

Valeriana ceratophylla was scientifically described and named by Karl Sigismund Kunth in 1819. It is classified in the genus Valeriana within the family Caprifoliaceae. It has three heterotypic synonyms. Names In Spanish Valeriana ceratophylla is known as or "cat's claw". It is also known as , , , , or . ==Range and habitat==

In central Mexico it grows in the states of Mexico City, the State of Mexico, Morelos, and Puebla, and it only absent from Tlaxcala. It is also recorded in the northeastern states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí, and also to the east in Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico. To the southwest it only grows in Guerrero and Oaxaca. It grows in open, dry areas and is often found growing on disturbed ground. ==References==