202 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



GENUS L— V ERBENA. Tournef. 



Calyx tubular, 4- or 5-toothed. Corolla irregular, salver-shaped 

 or sub-bilabiate ; tube cylindrical, straight or curved ; limb 5-cleft, 

 with the segments obtuse, spreading, nearly equal, or 2 in the 

 upper lip and 3 in the lower. Stamens 4, didynamous, included, 

 all fertile, or the 2 upper ones sterile. Style terminal ; stigma sub- 

 capitate. Fruit dry, 2-celled and splitting into 2, or 4-celled and 

 splitting into 4 cocca. Seed solitary in each cell. 



Herbs or shrubs, of various habit, with the leaves opposite, 

 and the flowers variously disposed, sessile, often brightly coloured. 



The name of this genus of plants is said to come from the old Celtic word ferfaen, 

 which is of great antiquity, and was originally applied to a plant esteemed in magic. 



SPECIES I.— VERBENA OFFICINALIS. Linn. 

 Plate MXVIII. 

 Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVIII. Tab. MCCXCII. Fig. 2. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 67. 



Perennial. Stem erect, stiff, paniculately branched above. 

 Loaves pinnatifid, hispid. Flowers in slender spikes at the extre- 

 mity of the stem and branches, lax in fruit. Bracts ovate-acumi- 

 nate, about half as long as the calyx. Stamens 4, didynamous. 



On dry banks, roadsides, and waste ground. Common in the 

 South of England, more rare in the North. In Scotland only near 

 Inverkeithing ; no doubt introduced with ballast. 



England, [Scotland,] Ireland. Perennial. Late Summer 

 and Autumn. 



llootstock woody, branched, producing several stems 1 to 2 feet 

 high. Leaves opposite, 1 to 3 inches long, oblanceolate or sub- 

 rhomboidal in outline, pinnatifid, with the lobes acute or obtuse, 

 entire or toothed on the lower side, the hasal ones sometimes larger, 

 so that the leaf becomes somewhat trilid ; upper leaves narrower, 

 sometimes entire. Spikes dense when in flower, afterwards elon- 

 gating and becoming virgate. Corolla-tube about twice as long as 

 the calyx ; limb \ inch across, pale-lilac. Fruit of f reddish-brown 

 nuts, truncate at the apex, granulated with white points on the 

 inner face. Plant dull-green, more or less hispid. 



Common T'crvain. 

 French, Verveinc officinale. German, GebraucJiliches Sisenmv/ut. 



The Vervain is a plant with a curious and interesting history. It was undoubt- 

 edly the herba sacra of the ancient Druids, in honour of which VerWnalia were annually 



