610 VERBENACEAE 



tube and alternate with the lobes ; anthers 2-celled, longitudinally dehiscent. Ovary 

 superior, 2-4-celled ; ovules usually solitary in each cell ; style simple ; stigmas 1 or 2. 

 Fruit dry, separating at maturity into 2 or 4 nutlets, or a drupe containing 2-4 

 nutlets. 



A family of about 80 genera and approximately 800 species, inhabiting mostly tropical and subtropical 

 regions. 



Ovary 4-celled; fruit of 4 nutlets; our species annual or perennial herbs. 1. Verbena. 



Ovary 2-celled; fruit tardily separating into nutlets. 



Calyx 2-lobed, tube flattened, 2-angled; bracts broad, persistent; flowers imbricated in pedunculate heads 



or short spikes; creeping herbs. ^- t'hyla. 



Calyx 4-Iobed tube 4-angled, not flattened; bracts narrow, deciduous; flowers in loose slender spikes; aro- 

 matic shrubs. 3. Aloysta. 



1. VERBENA [Tourn.] L. Sp. PI. 18. 1753. 



Herbs or a few species shrubby, with mostly opposite leaves. Flowers bracteate, 

 variously colored, in terminal corymbose or paniculate spikes. Calyx generally tubular, 

 5-angled, more or less unequally 5-toothed. Corolla salverform or funnelform, its limb 

 spreading, 5-lobed, regular or slightly 2-lipped. Stamens 4, didynamous, rarely only 2, 

 included; anthers unappendaged or sometimes bearing a gland. Ovary 4-celled; ovules 

 solitary in each cell; style 2-lobed, only one of the lobes stigmatic. Fruit dry, mostly 

 enclosed by the calyx, or at length separating into 4 linear or linear-oblong, smooth or 

 roughened, 1 -seeded nutlets. [Latin name of a sacred herb.] 



A genus of about 100 species, chiefly American tropical and subtropical regions. Type species, Verbena of- 

 ficinalis L. 



Flowers in more or less slender spikes; corolla 3-6 mm. long; anthers not appendaged. 

 Bracts inconspicuous, lanceolate-subulate, shorter than or barely exceeding the calyx. 



Leaves sessile and more or less auriculate-clasping; spikes short and compact. 1. V. bonariensis. 



Leaves petioled; spikes elongated in fruit and open at least below. 

 Spikes paniculate, much elongated and very slender. 



Leaves abruptly narrowed to the wingless or obscurely winged petiole. 



Perennial; herbage more or less strigose; leaves rarely slightly scabrous on the upper 



surface. 2. V. hastata. 



Annual; herbage decidedly scabrous. 3. V.scabra. 



Leaves tapering at base to a distinctly winged petiole, incisely toothed or lobed. 



4. V. menthaefoha. 



Spikes in threes at the ends of the branches, often congested in flower. 



Leaves canescent, upper surface not scabrous; spikes becoming elongated and loosely flowered 



in fruit. 5. V. lasiostachys. 



Leaves bright green, scabrous on the upper surface; spikes usually not greatly elongated and 

 flowers remaining congested in fruit. 6. V. robusta. 



Bracts conspicuous, lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, much exceeding the calyx. 7. V. bracteata. 



Flowers in head-like spikes; corolla about 10 mm. long, the lobes obcordate; anther-connectives appendaged. 



8. V. Gooddingit. 



1. Verbena bonariensis L. Cluster-flowered Verbena. Fig. 4340. 



Verbena bonariensis L. Sp. PI. 20. 1753. 



Stems up to 1 m. in height, nearly square in cross section, sparsely hirsutulous with spreading 

 hairs or subglabrous below. Leaves opposite, decussate, lanceolate, sessile, subauriculate, acutely 

 and rather deeply serrate, 5-10 cm. long, strigillose above, short-pubescent beneath with spread- 

 ing hairs, prominently veined; spikes densely flowered, 2^ cm. long in crowded cymes terminat- 

 ing the branches of the inflorescence ; bracts lanceolate-subulate, barely equaling to slightly ex- 

 ceeding the calyx, strigose especially on the margins and midrib ; calyx 3 mm. long, pubescent 

 with ascending hairs, the lobes rather abruptly narrowed to a short subulate tip; corolla-tube 

 about 5 mm. long, the limb scarcely 1 mm. broad ; nutlets 2 mm. long, commissural faces scarcely 

 extending to the apex of the nutlet, muricate-scabrous. 



Native of South America; introduced in the Southern States and in the Sacramento Valley, Yuba County, 

 California. Type locality: Buenos Aires, Argentina. May-Nov. 



Verbena litoralis H.B.K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 2: 276. pi. 137. 1818. (Verbena Hansenii Greene, Pittonia 

 3: 308. 1898.) Stems erect, up to 1 m. in height, simple below, mostly trichotomously branched above, glabrous 

 or usually sparsely scabrous especially on the angles; lower leaves lanceolate to oblong, narrowed below to a very 

 short petiole or sessile, decussate, the upper becoming reduced, linear-lanceolate and entire, strigillose on both 

 surfaces; spikes terminal, cymosely arranged or often panicled, rather densely flowered, often elongated in fruit; 

 bracts lanceolate-subulate, 2 mm. long, strigose; calyx 2-2.5 mm. long, strigillose, the teeth subequal, subulate 

 about as long as the tube; corolla slightly exceeding the calyx, the limb 2.5-3 mm. broad; nutlets trigonous, 

 barely 1 . 5 mm. long, scabrous on the commissural faces, inconspicuously reticulate at apex. Locally established 

 in California: Amador County, Hansen; San Joaquin County, Jepson; Shasta County, M. S. Baker. Native 

 of Mexico, and Central and South America. Type locality: "prope Truxillo, Santa et Lima." 



2. Verbena hastata L. Blue Vervain. Fig. 4341. 



Verbena hastata L. Sp. PI. 20. 1753. 



Stems one or two from a perennial root, strict, 4-8 dm. high, strigose-hispidulous. Lower 

 leaves oblong-lanceolate, sometimes hastate, acute at apex, the upper narrowly lanceolate and 

 acuminate, 6-9 cm. long, serrate or incised-dentate with acute teeth, short-petioled, thinly stri- 



