380 BRECK’S NEW BOOK OF FLOWERS. 
plant, with leaves exceedingly wooly on both sides, with 
its long, thick, cylindrical spikes, with handsome five- 
parted flowers, abundant in dry pastures; in July and 
August. Most of the European species are biennial; a 
few perennial, and some quite desirable for the garden. 
V. pheniceum, is a native of the South of Europe, a 
handsome hardy perennial, growing three feet high, with 
elongated racemes of purple flowers. . 
VY. pulveruléntum.—tThis is a native of Britain, bienni- 
al, and a magnificent plant, sending up a stem a yard 
high, covered with many hundreds of gold-colored flow- 
ers; leaves powdery, ovate-oblong, sub-serrate. 
V. Blatt4ria.—Moth Mullein.—An indigenous species, 
two or three feet high. Flowers in a long terminal ra- 
ceme, yellow or white, marked with purple; stamens cov- 
ered with purple hairs. This plant is said to have the 
power of driving away the blatta, or cockroach. Prop- 
agated from seed. 
VERBENA.—VERvaIn. 
[An ancient name for some sacred herb.] 
“Vervain was held sacred among the ancient, and was 
employed in sacrifices, incantations, etc.; it was one of 
the plants termed by the Greeks, Sacred Herb. It was 
suspended around the neck as an amulet, thought good 
against bites, and recommended as a sovereign medicine 
for various diseases. It is supposed to have been in use 
with the Druids upon sacred occasions.’ 
“ Lift your boughs of Vervain blue, 
Dip in cold September dew ; 
And dash the moisture, chaste and clear, 
O’er the ground and through the air.”—Mason. 
