TAXONOMY 395 



more rarely whorled, entire, exstipulate. Inflorescence a raceme of 

 condensed cymes, becoming a simple raceme or spike, rarely con- 

 densed into a solitary terminal inflorescence. Flowers hermaphro- 

 dite, usually irregular; calyx five-cleft; corolla hypogynous, 

 gamopetalous, more or less bilabiate, funnel-form and composed of 

 five sepals; stamens usually four (Ruellia, etc.), occasionally reduced 

 to two, as in genus Dianthera, didynamous or diandrous, epipetalous; 

 pistil bicarpellate ; ovary two-celled, superior, with numerous cam- 

 pylotropal ovule's; style terminal, filiform. Fruit a capsule contain- 

 ing numerous curved seeds. The family is of pharmaceutic interest 

 mainly because of Ruellia ciliosa, a pubescent perennial herb growing 

 in th6 Eastern United States, whose rhizome and roots have fre- 

 quently been admixed with or substituted for Spigelia. 



Verbenacea or Vervain Family. Herbs (Verbena), Shrubs (Clar- 

 odendron), rarely trees (Tectona or Teak-wood) whose stems and 

 branches are usually quadrangular and rarely scented. Leaves 

 generally opposite, exstipulate, simple or compound. Inflorescence 

 a terminal panicle of spikes (Verbena hastata), a cyme (Callicarpa) 

 or head (Lippia lanceolata). Flowers white, pink or blue (Verbena 

 haslata) irregular, more or less 2-lipped ; calyx gamosepalous, 

 tubular; corolla gamopetalous, hypogymous with a 4-5 fid limb; 

 stamens generally 4, didynamous and inserted on the corolla tube 

 or throat; pistil of 2-4 carpels, a terminal style and undivided stigma. 

 Fruit a drupe or 2 to 4 celled berry, usually splitting into as many 

 nutlets. Seeds exalbuminous. 



Official drug Part used Botanical origin Habitat 



Verbena N. F. ' Overground portion Verbena hastata United States 



Labiates, (Lamiacea) or Mint Family. Herbs producing creeping 

 runners that spread out and root at the nodes. Stems quadrangular, 

 rarely cylindrical in outline. Leaves opposite, decussate, mainly 

 petiolate; leaf margin nearly always serrate, dentate or crenate. 

 Stems and leaves further characterized by the presence of glandular 

 hairs containing aromatic volatile oil. These hairs consist of a 

 short one-celled stalk and a head (gland) of six or eight cells. Inflo- 

 rescence a raceme or spike of verticillasters (double dichesial cymes) 

 or, as in the Ground Ivy, a reduced verticillaster. Flowers typically 



