V E R 



V E R 



taining the seeds: the seeds two or fwjr, ob- 

 long. 



The species cultivated are: ). V Indica, In- 

 dian Vervain; 2. V. supina, Trailing Vervain; 

 3. F. oruiica, Betony-leaved Vervain; 4. V Ja- 

 mukensis, Jamaica Vervain; 5. V. Mexicana, 

 Mexican Vervain; 6. V. glolijlora, Globe- 

 flowered Vervain; 7- V. bonarientis, Cluster- 

 flowered Vervain ; 8. V. hastata, Halberd-leaved 

 Vervain; 9 V.triphylhi, Three-leaved Vervain. 



There are many oilier species that may be cul- 

 tivated tor variety. 



The first is an annual plant, very much re- 

 sembling the fourth sort, but easily distinguished 

 from it by the stem and branches being smooth, 

 except the base of the leaves and the part of the 

 branches between the leaves, which are ciliate : 

 the leaves also are much narrower, being truly 

 lanceolate and drawn to a point at both ends : 

 the spike is the same, but the colour of the co- 

 rolla is purple. It is a native of Ceylon, flower- 

 ing in August. 



The second species has a biennial root (an- 

 nual) : the stalks near two feet high, branching 

 out greatly : the leaves sessile: the flowers dis- 

 posed in long loose spikes singly at the end of 

 the branches ; they are of a light blue colour, 

 and large. It flowers in July and August, and 

 is a native of Spain, Portugal and Algiers. 



The third arises with a shrubby stalk near 

 three feet high, divided into three or four 

 branches : the leaves oblong-ovate, placed by 

 pairs, deeply serrate, deep green above, but 

 hoarv beneath ; their footstalks are short, and 

 have leafy borders running from the base of the 

 leaves: the flowers grow in thick terminating 

 spikes about a loot in length ; are large, of a 

 fine blue colour, and have small acute-pointed 

 leaves intermixed with them; they come out in 

 June and July. It is biennial, and a native of 

 South America. 



The fourth species has the stem three or four 

 feet high, very much branched and diffused, and 

 being suffrutescent at the base it seems to be 

 more than annual: the stem and branches rough 

 with hair: the leaves opposite, ovate, obtuse or 

 acute, serrate, gradually and for a considerable 

 length attenuated at the base : from the axil be- 

 tween two opposite branches comes forth a fleshy 

 *pike, a foot long, unequally cylindrical, stiff 

 and green : the flowers blow in succession, be- 

 ginning at the bottom, very few together, violet- 

 coloured, with the throat and long slender in- 

 curved tube white. It is a native of Jamaica, 

 Barbadoes, &c. 



The fifth has a shrubby stalk, which rises five 

 ©r six feet high, and divides into several 

 branches : the leaves sessile, oblong, serrate, 

 ending in acute points, two inches long, one 



inch broad near the base, of a light green colouf 

 on both sides : the branches are terminated by 

 slender loose spikes of small pale flowers, the 

 calyxes of which afterwaid-. become swelled and 

 almost globular ; are reflexed, and set with 

 stinging hairs. It is a native of Mexico, flower- 

 ing in July and August. 



The sixth species is a fragrant shrub: the 

 stem erect, branched, ash -coloured, the height 

 of a man: the branches erect, round, like the 

 stein : the brancblets rugged, pithy, bav-co- 

 loured : the shoots villose, rugged, from lour- 

 cornered round, green at top: the leaves oppo- 

 site, seldom three together, spreading, sharp at 

 both ends, crenate or bluntly serrate, except at 

 the base, where they are entire, attenuated into 

 the petiole, marked with lines above, and with 

 erect, alternate, prominent nerves beneath, very 

 much veined, wrinkled, villose, rugged, re- 

 clining, permanent, fragrant : petioles" shorter 

 than the leaf, round on one side, grooved or flat 

 on the other, villose, edged with the decurrent 

 leaf: heads terminating, axillary, peduncled, 

 roundish, bracted, imbricate : the peduncles 

 erect, single or two from each axil, scarcely 

 longer than half the leaf, villose, rugged: the 

 flowers sessile, one to each bracte, very close, 

 compressed, white. It is a native of South 

 America. 



The seventh has four-cornered stalks which 

 rise to the height of five or six feet, sending out 

 side branches oy pairs . .he leaves three inches 

 long, and about three quarters of an inch broad, 

 of a pale green colour, and serrate : the spikes 

 terminating, clustered, the longest about two 

 inches, the others about half as long : the 

 flowers blue, appearing late in summer. It is a 

 native of Buenos Ayres. 



The eighth species sends up many four- 

 cornered furrowed stalks from the root, which 

 rise five or six feet high : the leaves opposite, 

 oblong, about three niches long, and an inch 

 broad near the base, ending in acute points, 

 deeply serrate on slender petioles : from the same 

 joints come out short branches, set with smaller 

 leaves of the same form : the stalks are termi- 

 nated by spikes of blue flowers in clusters, which 

 appear in August. It is a native of Canada. 



The ninth is a very sweet-smelling under- 

 shrub : the stem upright, branched, round, ash- 

 coloured, a fathom in height : the branches 

 three or four in a whorl, spreading very much, 

 rugged : the branchlets six-cornered, bay-co- 

 loured : the leaves generally three together, 

 sometimes four, spreading, of a bright green 

 colour, and very pleasant smell like that of the 

 lemon: the flowers in an erect terminating pa- 

 nicle, composed of spikes. 



Culture. — These plants are not raised without 



