192 FOUNDATIONS OF BOTANY 



hairs. Root-leaves lanceolate or oblong, petioled, 4-8 in. long; 

 stem-leaves sessile, acute, rounded at the base. Flowers showy, 

 reddish-purple in the bud, changing to bright blue. A very trouble- 

 some weed, especially in fallow fields. Introduced from Europe. 



86. VERBENACE.^;. Vehbena Family. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees. Leaves opposite or whorled, with- 

 out stipules. Flowers irregular, in bracted. cymes. Calyx 

 free from the ovary, cleft or toothed. Corolla free from the 

 ovary, tubular, usually more or less 2-lipped. Stamens usually 

 4, 2 long and 2 short, inserted on the corolla-tube. Ovary 

 usually 2-4-celled (in Phryma 1-celled), with, the style spring- 

 ing from its summit. 



I. VERBENA, Toum. 



Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves simple, opposite, ser- 

 rate or pinnately lobed. Flowers in terminal spikes which 

 become much elongated in fruit. Calyx tubular, 5-ribbed, 

 6-toothed. Corolla salver-form or funnel-form, the tube often 

 curved, bearded in the throat, limb spreading, 5-lobed, often 

 somewhat 2-lipped. Stamens 4, 2 long and 2 short, rarely 

 only 2, included. Ovary 2-4-celled, 2-4-ovuled; style slen- 

 der, 2-lobed. Fruit 2-4 smooth or roughened, 1-seeded nut- 

 lets. [Several of the commonest species are tall, coarse herbs 

 which blossom too late for school study.]* 



1. V. ofacinalis, L. European Vervain. Annual ; stem erect, 

 slender, nearly or quite smooth, branching, 1-3 ft. high. Leaves 

 ovate to obovate in outline, pinnately lobed or divided, narrowed 

 and entire toward the base, downy beneath ; petioles margined. 

 Spikes several, very slender ; flowers small, purple, bracts shorter 

 than the calyx. In fields and waste places; introduced from 

 Europe.* 



2. V. angustifolia, Michx. Narrow-leaved Vervain. Peren- 

 nial, rough-hairy ; stem simple, or branched below, from a creeping 

 base, 1-2 ft. high. Leaves lanceolate to spatulate, obtuse and toothed 

 at the apex, tapering to a sessile base. Spike peduncled, slender, 

 close-flowered ; bracts about the length of the calyx. Corolla purple, 

 tube slightly curved, \ in. long. In dry, open woods. * 



