THE Cl/LTURE OF THE VERBENA. 43 



spreading growth ; thus, " herba, — herbena, — verbena." Its original mean- 

 ing was any sacred branch or herb ; as, for instance ; of cypress, rose, 

 laurel, olive, or myrtle, as we learn from Livy and Celsus. These verbense 

 or branches were used at solemn ceremonies or at religious festivals. 

 The priests, whose duty it was to declare peace or war, to form or sever 

 leagues or alliances, wore these verbenai twined around their heads, and 

 thence were sometimes styled Verbenarii. They were also borne by sup- 

 pliants who sued for protection, as we learn from Cicero, and placed on 

 altars or wreathed around them, as Ave find them thus mentioned in Ovid 

 and Terence. The use of " verbena" in sickness, as possessing cooling 

 properties, is mentioned by Celsus, but whether in reference to this particu- 

 lar plant is very doubtful. 



The word "verbena," as commonly translated, signifies Vervain, of which 

 we have many species ; and it is not a little singular that a plant having so 

 simple an English synonym should so universally retain the Latin or botan- 

 ical name ; the old Latin name for vervain, however, is Verbenaca and not 

 Verbena. 



The Vervains common with us are the Verbena hastata and Verbena 

 urticifolia; the former is a tall, showy plant, blooming in August, quite 

 plenty by our roadsides; a perennial. The latter far more common, being 

 found about fences, hedges, and heaps of refuse, and of little beauty. The 

 flowers of the former are of a dark purple color, and imbricate; of the latter, 

 white, small, and not imbricate. 



Our Verbena was introduced into England from Buenos Ayres, where it 

 is indigenous, by Mr. Hugh Cumming, an ardent lover of nature, about the 

 year 1825. 



The first, and for a long time the only variety cultivated, was Verbena 

 Melindres or chamsedrifolia; but it now appears lost among the new and 

 superior kinds which have been raised from seed. In form it has been 

 repeatedly excelled, but its creeping habit and abundance of bloom must 

 always recommend it, though we doubt, if at tiie present time it can be ob- 

 tained at any of our greenhouses, and probably few of our younger cultiva- 

 tors have ever seen this once popular variety. The color is scarlet, and 

 though perhaps equalled can never be excelled. Many other earlier varie- 

 ties mio-ht be mentioned, but, although interesting-, it would too much 

 extend the limits of this article. 



Verbena multifida, with lilac purple flowers, was introduced from Peru ; 

 Verbena Tweediana, Avith rose crimson flowers, from Brazil, and from 

 these and a few other varieties and seedlings, have sprung all the numer- 

 ous varieties, many hundred in number, which may be found in extensive 

 collections. The credit of introducing this plant into the United States 

 belongs to Robert Buist of Philadelphia; about the year 1835, from seed 

 received from Buenos Ayres, he raised the first white, pink and crimson 

 verbenas. The plant soon became generally known, and was everywhere 

 a favorite; in the floral world it caused quite an excitement, and the 

 original kinds were soon surpassed in every respect by newer seminal 

 varieties. 



