Still trying to find out

I had a nibble of lovage - and wouldn't touch it again! Yeeeeeeeuchhh!

 

I have been watching my 'lovage' until it flowers- I found the same plant as mine marked as 'lovage' at a herb stall at the Bath Show last weekend.
I found this lovely online herb site whilst looking for pictures of Valerian and Lovage:
http://botanical.com/
and found these two pictures which show the difference between the seeds clearly. So I'm convinced my plant is lovage and the seeds Poppy sent me are Valerian.

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/v/valeri01-l.jpg
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lovage42-l.jpg
Shiney. I don't suppose you remember what your seeds looked like?

 

Hi Liz, it does look like Valerian, the flowers have a hint of pink in them. For the seeds ID, try here
http://www.theseedsite.co.uk/seedsize8.html

 

Ooops! :eek: Sorry shiney :D

 

Shiney can you take a close up of the flowers please as it is doing my head in going through my gardening books trying to find out what it is and some of my books are heavy..Ta :D :D

 

Now I can see the leaves better I'm going for valerian as lovage has similar shaped but smooth leaves, not deeply indented as yours are. Open flowers and seeds should clinch it.

 

I'm telling you - it's valariana! :D (though yours is much further forward - mine is no-where near flowering!)

 

I shall be glad when the mystery is solved because it is doing my head in

 

I've been having a look in my wildflower book and Shiney's could be the common valerian. Do they have hairy leaf stems? Woo yours looks like the picture of red valerian or centranthus ruber. Can't wait the see the flowers open Shiney.

 

I agree with Celia.I have been looking through my Readers Digest Field Guide To The Wild Flowers of Britain it certainly looks like Common Valeria-{Valerianaa Officinalis}

An upright plant with few branches.The main stem is angular,and usually hairy towards the bottom.The dense flower heads at the tops of the stems are branched.The lower leaves have long stalks;those near the top stalkless...Height 8-60 inches flowers June -August.

During the First World War the juice of fresh Valerian roots were used to calm people who had been upset by air-raids.For many years before that,herbalists had used the juice as a seditive for those stricken with Epilepsy or St Vistus's dance...

The curved flower tube has a pouch towards the base.The style and three stamens extend beyond the tube....

Hope this helps clear up the mystery