| Noun | 1. | valerian family - genus of mostly herbs having a characteristic fetid odor asterid dicot family - family of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubs order Rubiales, Rubiales - an order of dicotyledonous plants of the subclass Asteridae; have opposite leaves and an inferior compound ovary genus Valeriana, Valeriana - genus of widely distributed perennial herbs and some shrubs genus Valerianella, Valerianella - genus of Old World annual herbs widely naturalized Centranthus, genus Centranthus - genus of southern European herbs and subshrubs |