1912 



VERBENA 



cies was doubtless used in hybridizing, but its distinc- 

 tive characters are now practically obliterated in the 

 forms of V. ht/bnda. 



Verbena teiicrioides is a species of strikingly differ- 

 ent characters from the three preceding and one which 

 has exerted a must profound inliucm-L' upon many 

 races of V. Iiiii',i<!,i . fiv pl.-mi^ ii.hn.i,,i in li-i-hmdin 



July or Auuu ■, i -. i :. iv distin- 



giiishable bv !■ ■ , h emit a 



rich .iessamiiM' ' i I I! • ■ , I ■ i ■ \ iTenate, 



tinct speciUc form. 



These four species seem to be the only ones which 

 have had a marked and permanent influence upon our 



u-s gradually 

 ■ nes. All the 

 iive soon lost 

 ely merged in 

 le four or five 

 IS we find in 



VERBENA 



improve it that a Rreat number of ho 

 soon api"-Mrr,l and Ktr_-U-h v;iri.-f:i 

 supersi-il..,l tip- uiiwi.l.lv .|n:i-i-li..t;. 

 species, .x.-ri.t I . (, ...,,,.,,/, - , v,..ii 



their S|...rilir nh-milV I lu lr:,\r r. 



V.hnbriihl. 'I'll,. ;„1, iill. . IIS l,l;Ml.-th|-. 



years following WM were astouisl 



1840 upwards of 40 kinds enumerated, while in 1844 a 



single list contained the names of over 200 varieties. 



In 1839 Robert Buist, Sr., of Philadelphia, introduced 

 the leading forms to America. Robert Buist, Jr., states 

 positively that these were obtained from England. It 

 is sometimes erroneously stated that Buist obtained 

 seeds directly from South America. He seems to have 

 been for years the leading Verbena grower and hy- 

 bridizer in America. It is impossible from the meager 

 American literature, to discern any striking difference 

 between the trend of development in America and in 





prototypes of the garden Verbenas, faithfully redrawn from early colored plates. 



originals of 



fragrance oi 



i:hama'-dryfoUa, chief parent of the reds; Y. phlogiJloTalfind inci 

 : aiiU V. teucrioides, a white flower which is chiefly, if not wholly, 



present races of Verbena. I', tetiera and V. Aitbletia 

 have probably been used occasionally by florists in hy- 

 bridizing, but they belong to a different section of the 

 genus, some of their hybrids scldnm prmiuce seeds and 

 their influence, if any, has bcin In In lunl 1 1 msient. 

 With the successful introdiin, i . / mides in 



18.38, Verbena lovers had a m.j^i I nlforthe 



developiii.-.it of a, spleTidid ur .n -In plants. 



Th..v I ~--! r..in. .,,..,■,,-, il ■ M.:,l,illtv of 



Whi.-l, • ■ ■:■!...■■ , :,.r Inn:, . : ,•• n. ;,1,,1 111,- 



A',,, /• / ,,ui and Selection, 18S8- 



i<W-'.- s, I, - 11.1, ,111,1 !i\ I.I i,li/ing had already begun in 

 1838 and li.id brci, n-war.lcd with the production of 

 "several excellent varieties." The first of these were 

 given trinomial Latin names. The Verbena gained 

 popularity so rapidly and so many efforts were made to 



Britain. In his "nir,•,'t,,rv 

 fact that some of tl,,. I„ ii 

 "large as a dinu-. far ,,iiu 

 years ago." In l.s.'.t li,. s|,, 

 feet formation" and "ll,,\\ , 

 lar," and as "good as tl 

 Doubtless the Verbena wi,x 

 of perfection as an exhibli 

 Ani..ri.-a. 



ihist. 



the Verbena was at, II,, , ■ '. ' ■ .., , 



It was in this yrai- ihai 1 1 . i ' . .1 i ',;,..; i ; , 



of England awaiM,,! pi .,ii. i. I, ..,,. 



height of popularity us a I,, ililmj; pi. mi v.: 

 some years before "this, possibly as early a 

 there seems to have been a growing opinioi 

 able to it as a bedding plant as early as 1861. 



Period of Decline and Partial Recovery, 1! 



About 1870 the Verbena t.„,k a |,i i]>it,.us 



public favor. There were manv ,a,is,^ ili.it 

 to its downfall, but chief am,,,,- ih, -,■ ^^, r..: 



(1) A number of other ]ilaiits lapiiin ,1 th,. 



