V E R 



V E R 



taiiiing the seeds: the seeds two or four, ob- 

 long. 



The species cultivated are : \ . V Jttdica, In- 

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

 3. K ond'ica, Betony-leavcd Vervain; 4. F Ja- 

 makensls, Jamaica Vervain; .5. F. Mcxicana, 

 Mexican Vervain; 6. F. globijlorq, Globe- 

 flowered Vervain; "• F. boiiunens'is, Cluster- 

 flowered Verv;iin ; 8. F. Iinslala, lialbcrd-leaved 

 \\'rvain; g F. triphyJIn, Three-leaved Vervain. 

 There are many other species that may be cul- 

 tivated for variety. 



The first is an annual plant, very much re- 

 sembling the founh sort, but easily distinguished 

 from it by the stem and branches being smooth, 

 except the base of the leaves ar.d the part of the 

 branches between the leaves, vhich arecihate: 

 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 hiah, 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 Spam, Portugal and Algiers. 



The third arises w ith a shrubby stalk near 

 three feet hi<;h, divided into three or four 

 branches : the leaves oblong-ovate, placed by 

 pairs, deeply serrate, deep green above, but 

 iioarv 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 foot in length ; are large, of a 

 fine blue colour, and have small acute-pointed 

 leaves intermixed with them; they come out in 

 June andJuly. 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 

 Leing 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 ileshy 

 spike, 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, w hich rises five 

 or six feet high, and divides into several 

 branches : the leaves sessile, oblong, serrate, 

 tnding in acute points, two inches long, one 



inch broad near the base, of a light green colour 

 on both sides: the branches arc terminated by 

 slender loose spikes of small pale ilowers, 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. 



Tlie sixih species is a fragrant shrub; the 

 stem erect, branched, ash-coloured, the height 

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

 stem : the branchleis rugged, pithy, bay-co- 

 loured : the shoots viUose, rugged, from four- 

 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 petioie, n)arked 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 by pairs : ihe 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 inches 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 heisiht : 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 lliat of the 

 lemon: the flowers in an erect ternjinating pa- 

 nicle, composed of spikes. 



Culture. — These plants are not raised without 



