58 



VERBEXAOEJiJ. 



on it, it 



nodi fit 



Gcertner, the Zapania 



nodiflora of Lamarck, and the Vervena cajntata of For- 

 skahl. The stem is herbaceous, creeping, from 3 inches to a 

 foot in length, sub-divided, rounded, marked with lines, and 

 smooth. The spike is terminating, roundish, composed of small 



roun 



disli , 



whitish or rose-coloured flowers ; it has two seeds, 



flatter on one side than the other." {Materia Indica, Vol. lU 

 p. 313.) 



VERBENA OFFICINALIS, fJnv. 



Fig.— Ilai/ne PI. Of. 5, t. 42; Sweet Brit. FL Gard. Hi'. 

 t. 202. Vervain (Enff.), Verveine, Ilerbe sacre'e (Fy.). 



H a b.— Himalaya, Bengal Plain, and Persia. The herb. 



Vernacular 

 {Ind. Bazars) 



Pamukh [Bind.), Fs^ristariun or Baristariun 



History, U 



&c 



Vervain is the tvepia-Tfpfm' or 



»r.ptcrr.>or of the Greeks ; the word signifies "a dovecote. 



>J 



d 



the plant was so named because doves were supposed to be 

 particularly fond of it. It was also called hpot3ordyr, or "holy 

 wort, " because it was used in sacrifices, purifications, and as an 

 amulet. Dioscorides states that the leaves of the Verbena 

 have a reputation as a local sedative and vulnerary. Pliay 

 (25, .59) says :^" Among the Romans there is no plant that 

 enjoys a more extended renown than Ilierahotano, known to 

 some persons as Feristerion, and among us more generally as 



f^TZ'^'\ ^* '^ ^^'^ P^^^''* *^^^^ "^"^ ^^^^ ''^l^'-^'^^y mentioned 



•fl *v ^ ^""^ ^''^^ "' *^^ ^'^°<^^ ^f envoys when treating 



with the enemy, with this that the temple of Jupiter is cleansed, 



with this that houses are purified and due expiation made. 

 i here are two varieties of it : the one, that is thickly covered 

 wl h :r/I::??r^ L^ ^^^^^^^ *^ ^ ^^^ female plant; that 



# 



the ndiculous superstition, gf the Mao^i 

 plant, and remarlcs that tl.. ,.l..... i,„_^v 



in reference to thf^ 



ine 



