VERBENACE^— VERVAIN FAMILY 



BLUE VERVAIN 



Verbena hastdta 



Verbena, Latin name for any sacred herb. 



Perennial. Native. A tall, slender, leafy plant, 

 branching at the top into many slender flower-stems 

 which branch again into several lengthened spikes of 

 small violet-blue flowers, but few at any time appearing 

 upon the spike. In wet places, low grounds, and road- 

 sides. Very generally distributed over the United States 

 and Canada. 



Stem. — Three to seven feet high, rough, grooved, four- 

 sided, leafy, branched above. 



Leaves. — Opposite, petioled, rough, lanceolate, doubly 

 serrate, acute or acuminate; midrib and veins prom- 

 inent; lower leaves sometimes lobed at base. 



Flowers. — Pale violet-blue; in small groups moving 

 upward upon slender, erect spikes at the summit of the 

 stems. 



Calyx. — Tubular, five-toothed, purplish. 



Corolla. — Small, violet-blue, corolla tube slender, bor- 

 der about one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch across, 

 five-lobed; several open at one time. 



Stamens. — Four, in two pairs of unequal length. 



Pistil. — Ovary four-celled; style short; stigma two- 

 lobed, one of the lobes stigmatic. 



Fruit.— Enclosed by the calyx, at length separating 

 into four nutlets. 



Pollinated by bees and flies. Nectar-bearing. 

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