Valerian (herb) Valerian (herb) Valerian ("Valeriana officinalis", Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly species, especially hoverflies of the genus "Eristalis". It is consumed as food by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species, including the grey pug. Crude extract of valerian root may have sedative and anxiolytic effects, and is commonly sold in dietary supplement capsules to promote sleep. Valerian has been used as a medicinal herb since at least
Valerian Engelhardt officer. In 1852 he received the rank of lieutenant general and was appointed to a senior post in the Corps of Civil Engineers. Engelhardt died on May 20, 1856 in St. Petersburg and is buried in the Volkov Lutheran cemetery. Valerian Engelhardt Valerian Engelhardt () (1798–1856) was a Russian lieutenant general and director of the Russian Institute of Railway Engineers. Engelhardt was born into the nobility of Livonia as a member of the Engelhardt family on December 24, 1798, the son of Colonel F. H. Engelhardt. His brother Nicholas Engelhardt also became a lieutenant general and member of the Order