Valeriana celtica subsp. celtica

The Valeriana celtica subspecie celtica is a plant found exclusively in the western Alps, restricted to Piedmont and the Aosta Valley within Italy. Within the National Park, it is a fairly common plant. It is found mainly in stony pastures at altitudes of between 2,000 and 3,500 metres (rarely observed at lower altitudes, down to 1,400 metres). It is a protected plant and is included on the IUCN Red List of Italian flora.

A small plant that often goes unnoticed, it tends to form extensive mats. It has almost exclusively oblanceolate basal leaves forming a rosette, from which the flowering stems emerge in July and August. The small flowers, arranged in whorls, have a yellowish corolla at the base and purplish lobes.

V. celtica subsp. celtica has a root with a strong camphor-like scent and is used as a moth repellent. The specific name, on the other hand, probably derives from the fact that the area in which it is found – the Western Alps – was historically part of the Celtic cultural sphere.