VERVAIN FAMILY. Verbenacese, 



silvery light green leaves, linear lance-shai3ed, tootblesSj 

 and stemless. The flowers are rather showy, tubular or 

 vase-shaped with five rounded unequal divisions ; the 

 four stamens, which, with the pistil, are pink, extend 

 far beyond the limit of the corolla. The flower-spike 

 one-sided, at first closely coiled, but finally long and but 

 slightly curved ; the blossoms are pink, but the mature 

 flower is light ultramarine violet. 1-2^ feet high. Road- 

 sides and pastures from Me. to Va., and west to Nev. 

 and S. Dak. Naturalized from Europe. The name 

 Greek, exi^, meaning a viper. Rare in central N. H. 



VERVAIN FAMILY. Verbenaceo'. 



Generally herbs (at least in our range) with opposite 

 leaves and perfect, more or less irregular flowers in ter- 

 minal clusters. The corolla with united petals, uniform 

 in shape, or two-lipped, the tube generally cylindrical 

 and spreading into 4-5 lobes. Four stamens, two long 

 and two short, or very rarelj^ only two. Probablj' self- 

 fertilized, though cross-fertilization may occur, assisted 

 by the honeybee, bumblebee, and the beelike flies. 



A troublesome annual weed with a four- 

 European sided, slender, nearly smooth, brandling 

 Verbena stem, and minuteh' hairy leaves, deeply 

 ufflcinalis cleft and sharp-toothed ; the upper ones 

 Purplish lance-shaped and toothless, the lower 

 or white ovate and sharply divided; all deep green. 

 September "^^^ small pale purple or white flow^ers in 

 branching spikes about 5 inches long, in- 

 conspicuous and uninteresting. 1-3 feet high. In waste 

 places everywhei-e. Naturalized from Europe. 



A similar perennial species with white 

 White 

 y .^ flowers; usually with erect slightly rough- 



Verbena hairy stem four-sided and grooved, and 



xirticcefolia coarsely toothed, deep green leaves, all or 



White nearly all with distinct stems, acute, and 



" ^~ slightly hairy. The flower-spikes at length 



very long, the white flowers very small. 



3-5 feet high. In fields and waste places, from Me., 



south, and west to Minn., S. Dak., and Tex. 



38a 



