VERBENACEA VERVAIN FAMILY 



Verbena hastata, L. 



Deep purple and violet Blue Vervain, 



False Vervain, 

 June-September Simpler' 's Joy, 



Purvain, 



Wild Hyssop, 



American Vervain, 



Iron-weed, 



Juno's-tears, 



Pigeon's Grass ("because pi- 

 geons are delighted to be 

 amongst it, as also to eat 

 thereof.") 



Verbena: Latin word of obscure derivation. 

 Hastata: Latin for spear-shaped. 



THE PREFERRED HABITAT: borders of wet thickets. 



THE PLANT: erect, three feet to seven feet high, usually 

 branched above: the stem rough with very short hairs, 

 four-sided. 



THE LEAVES: opposite; often tinged with purple; oblong^ 

 lanceolate or lanceolate; acute or tapering to a point at 

 the apex; narrowed at the base; toothed; the lower some- 

 times with three hastate lobes at the base. 



THE FLOWERS: usually on peduncles, in slender panicles, 

 long persistent. 



THE FRUIT: a drupe. 



This is one of the handsomest and most decorative 

 plants for bouquets that we have. Mr. Mathews describes 

 it very well when he says, "The flower-spikes are numerous 



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