1914 



VERBENA 





2651. Old style (on the left) and new style of color markings in Verbena. 



That at the left was popular at least from 1849 to 1865. The Italian or modern striped race at 



the right was introduced about 1862, and is the only one known to-day. 



Blues and Purples. It seems that different shades 

 of purple were occasionally represented in the wild 

 forms of V. incisa and phlogiflora; however, there 

 were no distinctly blue ones, and in the early history of 

 the Verbena there is a dearth of blue varieties. We 

 find in the Florist of 1854, that "Bluebeard" is "really 

 blue" and that "a good blue has long been wanted, 

 most of the so-called blues being of a blue-purple 

 color." Subsequent to the fifties the number of blue 

 varieties recorded in lists appreciably increase, but 

 they by no means equal the reds, being little if at all 

 in excess of the number of whites. Our best blues of 

 to-day (for example Blue Boy) are of a deep, royal 

 purple (per Ridge way's color plates) rather than really 

 blue. A great variety of tints and shades of purple are 

 represented. In the blue varieties which the writer has 

 grown, especially the ones from European seed, there 

 has been a striking resemblance to V, teucrioides in foli- 

 age, pubescence, habit of growth, etc. They also resem- 

 ble this species in having many that are very fragrant. 

 Yellow. A. good yellow has been the dream of many 

 a Verbena lover, but it is doubtful whether the dream 

 will ever be fully realized. Gartenflora of 1890 reports 

 a V. hybrida lutea, but it is not constant and the yellow 

 is dim. Gartenflora of 1896 reports that V. teucrioides 

 > lutea, Vilm., was produced from V. teucrioides, that it 

 is "bright yellow," and that it will be "joyfully received 

 by Verbena lovers." 



VERBENA 



The Striped Varieties. Two classes of so-called 

 striped Verbenas have arisen: one sort having the me- 

 dian portion of each lobe of the corolla of a dark color, 

 usually red or rose, and the margin white; the other 

 sort having irregular stripes, dots and dashes of red, 

 rose or purple upon a white ground color. See Fig. 

 2651. The former class seems to have originated with 

 the British florists somewhat previous to 1849, and was 

 the most popular "striped" class with them for many 

 years after the introduction of the second class of 

 striped ones. The true striped or Italian Verbenas were 

 introduced into France and England from Italy about 

 1862. Cavagnini Brothers, of Brescia, are given the 

 credit of having originated this unique race. It is the 

 general opinion of writ- 

 ers that the Italians are 

 derivatives in part of 

 V. tenera. Surely the 

 foliage of the Italian va- 

 rieties portrayed in Flora, 

 des Serres and of striped 

 varieties now grown 

 shows no " pinnatifld 

 laciniate" foliage of V. 

 tenera. Neither has the 

 undersigned been able to 

 find any evidence of the 

 anther appendages of V. 

 tenera. However, it is 

 impossible to determine 

 with certainty the paren- 

 tage of hybrids on struc- 

 tural characters alone. 

 The true explanation 

 may be that the V. pul- 

 chella which is said to 

 have been used, was not 

 V. tenera, Spreng., but 

 some form of V. liybrida, 

 Hort. The striped va- 

 rieties are unstable and: 

 have a strong tendency 

 to revert to " selfs," 

 whether propagated by 

 seed or by cuttings. In 

 the writer's own experi- 

 ence, a seedling with 

 blue and white striped 

 corolla reverted in four 

 generations of cuttings, 

 so that some of the 

 plants produced only 

 flowers that were solid 

 blue ; others, flowers 

 that were white with 



only an occasional small mark of blue. Striped Ver- 

 benas afford excellent opportunity for the study of bud- 

 variation. . 



Production of Leaf -Variegation (yellow foliage). 

 Comparatively little attention has been given to leaf- 

 variegation among the Verbenas. However, a number 

 of varieties having leaves variegated with yellow were 

 introduced about 1865, during the period when varie- 

 gated plants were so popular. At present we have a 

 strain of yellowish leaved Verbenas which come true 

 to this character from seed. 



Development of the Compactas. Early in the history 

 of the Verbenas their " straggling and uncontrollable" 

 habit of growth was lamented. Considerable pegging 

 was necessary in order to keep the plants in any de- 

 sired position and repeated efforts were made to secure 

 bedding varieties of closer, more upright habit. Con- 

 siderable progress was made by British florists during 

 the sixties. Most of the progress, however, has been 

 made subsequent to 1870 and the German Verbena- 

 growers of Erfurt deserve much of the credit for the 

 production of this splendid little race that has done so 

 much to help restore the Verbena again to popularity. 

 Compactas have been fixed in various colors so that 

 they will come true from seed. In most botanical char- 

 acters they resemble V. chamcedry folia and phlogiflora. 

 Development of Treatment as Annuals. Seed-Fixing, 

 When the Verbenas were first introduced they were 



