VERBENACEAE. 



[Vol. III. 



I. Verbena officinalis L. European 

 Vervain. Herb-of- the- Cross. Ber- 

 bine. (Fig. 3057.) 

 Verbena officinalis L. Sp. PI. 20. 1753. 



Annual; stem 4 sided, slender.glabrous or near- 

 ly so, ascending or spreading, diffusely branched, 

 i-3 high. Leaves minutely pubescent, the 

 lower deeply incised or 1-2 pinnatifid, ovate, ob- 

 long, or obovate in outline, I'^'long, narrowed 

 into margined petioles, the teeth acute; upper 

 leaves linear or lanceolate, acute, entire, sessile; 

 spikes several or numerous, filiform, at length 

 4 / ~5 / long; fruits less than i // high, scattered 

 along the spikes, not at all imbricated; bracts 

 ovate, acuminate, shorter than the 5-toothed 

 calyx; corolla purplish or white, the limb i // -2 // 

 broad. 



In waste and cultivated ground, Maine to Florida 

 and Texas. Also on the Pacific Coast. Naturalized 

 from the Old World. Sometimes a troublesome 

 weed. Called Holy-herb, Enchanter's-plant, Juno's- 

 tears, Pigeon 's-grass, Simpler's Joy. June-Sept. 



White or Nettle-leaved Vervain. (Fig. 3058.) 



1753- 



2. Verbena urticifolia L 



Verbena urticifolia L. Sp. PI. 20. 



Perennial, usually pubescent; stem slender, strict, 

 erect, 4-sided, paniculately branched above, 3-5 

 high, the branches upright. Leaves ovate, oblong, 

 or oblong-lanceolate, all petioled, or the upper- 

 most sessile, serrate-dentate all around, thin, acute 

 or acuminate, mostly rounded at the base, i^'S' 

 long; spikes numerous, filiform, erect, or spreading, 

 at length 4 / -6 / long; fruits oblong, scattered, not 

 at all imbricated, about \" high; bracts ovate, acu- 

 minate, shorter than the calyx; corolla white or 

 pale purple, its limb about i // broad. 



In fields and waste places, New Brunswick to 

 Minnesota, Florida and Texas. Hybridizes with V. 

 bracteosa, V. hastata and V. stricta. June-Sept. 

 Verbena urticifolia riparia ( Raf . ) Britton, Mem. Torr. 



Club, 5: 276. 1894. 

 Verbena riparia Raf.; Small & Heller, Mem. Torr. 



Club, 3: 12. 1892. 



Leaves incised, sometimes 3-cleft near the base; flow- 

 ers blue. River-banks, New Jersey to North Carolina. 



3. Verbena hastata L,. Blue Vervain. 

 Wild Hyssop. (Fig. 3059.) 



Verbena hastata L- Sp. PI. 20. 1753. 



Verbena paniculata Lam. Encycl. 8: 548. 1808. 



Perennial, roughish-puberulent ; stem erect, 

 strict, 4-sided, usually branched above, 3-7 high. 

 Leaves oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, petioled, 

 acute or acuminate at the apex, narrowed at the 

 base, serrate or incised-dentate with acute teeth, 

 3 / -6 / long, the lower sometimes hastately 3-lobed 

 at the base; spikes numerous, panicled, slender, 

 usually peduncled, 2' -6' long; fruits densely 

 imbricated on the spikes, \"-\Yz" high; bracts 

 ovate, acuminate, shorter than the calyx; corolla 

 blue, its limb about i^ // broad. 



In moist fields, meadows and in waste places, 

 Nova Scotia to British Columbia, south to Florida, 

 Nebraska and New Mexico. H3 r bridizes with V. 

 stricta and V. bracteosa. June-Sept. 



Verbena hastata pinnatifida (Lam.) Britton, Mem. Torr. Club, 5: 276. 1894. 

 Verbena pinnatifida Lam. Tabl. Encycl. 1: 57. 1791. 



Leaves deepty incised or pinnatifid. Occasional in the range of the type. 



