Valeriana dacica, a long-neglected Carpathian endemic species, is widely distributed across the Ukrainian Carpathians; it also slightly penetrates into the adjacent foothills in the Subcarpathian region north-eastwards from the mountains. A map of the species’ distribution in Ukraine is presented based on a critical revision of the herbarium data, literature, and the authors’ records. A drawing of V. dacica and identification tips, which help distinguish it from the closely related species V. tripteris are provided. Morphology, ecology, and population characteristics of V. dacica are described. The species occurs in moist habitats: stream banks, water springs, micro-depressions in montane woodlands, and herbaceous understory in Alnion incanae communities. The altitudinal range of V. dacica covers lower and upper montane forest belts and extends into the subalpine zone. While some of its local populations are prone to decline because of the thickening of the shrub-arboreal layer during the restoration succession, others undergo expansion, particularly in the subalpine zone due to climate change.

Keywords: altitudinal range, metapopulation, montane species, Ukrainian Carpathians, Valeriana montana group

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