4. Verbena.] 105. VEBBENACE^. 



Occasional. Santal Parganas, JKoj;^<. ! Chota Nagpur ! Fl,, Fr. c.s Rootstock 

 woody. Branches and leaves hispidly pubescent. Leaves mostly 3-partite with 

 obtuse or acute lobes, upper narrower. Spikes elongating to 10". 



This little plant is very widely distributed and is frequent by waj'sides and on 

 rubbish-heaps in England. The plant was held in great veneration by the ancients 

 (in Europe), being used in sacrifices and at other religious ceremonies. 



5. PETRJEA, L. 



Scandent rarely erect shrubs with opposite coriaceous entire leaves 

 and violet, purple or blue flowers, shortly pedicelled in the axils of 

 bracts scattered on the rhachis of long terminal racemes. Calyx 

 turbinate at the base, 5-15-costate with 5 spreading equal beautifully- 

 coloured lobes longer than the tube, persistent rigid and reticulate 

 after flowering ; scales in the throat opposite the sinuses. Corolla 

 with short cylindric tube and oblique broadly spreading 5-fid limb 

 with obtuse usually unequal lobes. Stamens didynamous, included. 

 Ovary on an elevated disc, imperfectly 2-celled, cells 1-ovuled. Fruit 

 coriaceous sub-fleshy, indehiscent, included in the calyx-tube. 



1. P. Yolubilis, Jacq. 



Very beautiful when in flower with ovate elliptic or oblong rather 

 harsh leaves 3-5" long and racemes of star-like flowers with spreading 

 pale blue calyx exceeding the deep violet corolla. Calyx-lobes linear, 

 tube Avith pubescent scales at the mouth. Anterior corolla-lobe with 

 a white spot at base. 



Frequent in gardens. Native of tropical America. Fl., Feb.-April, also some- 

 times in October. 



6. CITHAREXYLUM, L. 



Trees or shrubs. Flowers rather small racemose or pedicelled 

 axillary. Calyx truncate or shortly 5-lobed, spreading under the 

 fruit or cupular and shorter than the fruit. Corolla limb 5-fld. 

 Ovary sub-4-celled with one ovule in each cell. Fruit a succulent 

 drupe with 2 hard 2-celled pyrenes. 



1. C. subserratum, Sivartz. Fiddle Wood. 



A small tree with glabrous ovate elliptic or obovate petioled leaves, 

 shining above and remotely shallowly serrate towards the apex. 

 Flowers small white very fragrant in long drooping racemes. 

 Often planted. Native of America. Fl. r.s. 



7. DURANTA, L. 



Shrubs, sometimes very large, with opposite or whorled leaves, 

 often bearing axillary thorns, and small flowers in the axils of small 

 alternate bracts in terminal racemes, rarely axillary. Calyx tubular 

 or subcampanulate, truncate or minutely 5-toothed, accrescent in 

 fruit and including it, and often constricted at the apex. Corolla 

 with straight or inciirved tube and spreading oblique or eqvially 5-fid 

 limb. Stamens didynamous, included. Ovary almost perfectly 

 8-celled (4-2-celled carpels), each cell 1-ovuled. Style short, stigma 



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