228 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANT. . 



Okder XLYIII. YEBBENA'CE^. (Vervain Family.) 



Ilerl « (shrubs, and even trees within the tropics), having opposite leaves without stipules, 

 and M tubular corolla with the hmb 4-5-lobed, more or less 2-lipped and didynamous 

 stam'.ns. Ovary free, entire, 2-4-celled. Fruit dry (or sometimes drupaceous), and 

 splitting into 2-4 indehiscent 1-seeded nutlets. Seeds with little or no albumen. 



An Order of but little importance to the farmer, — though containing a number of plants 

 interesting to the florist. The tree which furnishes the " ever-during Teak^' of India 

 (Tixtma grandis, L.) — so celebrated in ship-building — belongs to this 0''der. 



1. VERBE'NA, L. Yervalx. 



[The Liitin name for the leaves of any sacred herb ; etymology obscure.] 



Cohjx tubular, 5-tootliecl, — one of the teeth often shorter. Corolla tub- 

 ular, somewhat salver-form, with the limb rather unequally 5-lobed. 

 Stamens included, the upper pair usually Vt^ithout anthers. Ovary 2-4- 

 celled, with 1 ovule in each cell. Fruit separable into 2 -4 nutlets. 

 Flowers mostly in terminal spikes, bracteate. 



1 . V. urtkmfo'lia, L. Leaves ovate and lance-ovate, acute, serrate, pe- 

 tiolate ; spikes filiform, terminal and axillary, somewhat paniculate ; 

 flowers distant. 



Nettle-leaved Yerbena. Common Yervain. 



Jtoci perennial. Stem erect, 2-3 or 4 feet high, obtusely quadrangular, hirsutely pu- 

 bescent, with slender axillary spreading branches above, iewes 2 - 4 inches long, ab- 

 ruptly narrowed at base to a short petiole. Spikes 1 or 2-5 or 6 inches long, green, very 

 Blender. Flowers distinct and finally a little distant, small, sessile, with a minute bract 

 at base. Corolla white, — the throat closed by a dehcate white villus. Fniit separating 

 into 4 nucules, which are oblong and triquetrous, with the outer side convex. 



Pastures, road-sides, &c. : throughout the United States. Fl. July -August. Fr. 

 SeiTt.ember. 



Obs. This is not a very pernicious or troublesome weed ; but as it is 

 altogether worthless, and often so abundant in pasture fields as neces- 

 sarily to attract the notice of the observing farmer, I thought it might 

 be admitted into the present work. 



V. officinalis, another introduced species with pinnatified or 3-cleft 

 leaves and small purplish flowers is found in some localities. Tlie spe- 

 cies of this genus are remarkable for their tendency to hybridize ; several 

 of our native species produce hybrids spontaneously. Various crosses 

 and varieties of Y. auble'tia, Y. cham^dripo'lia, and other species, are 

 now among the most common and deservedly popular ornaments of the 

 flower garden. The varieties are almost innumerable and are yearly in- 

 creased by the florists. 



Order XLIX. LABIATE. (Mint Family.) 



Chiefly Jierhs with quadrangular stems, opposite or sometimes verticillate leaves without 

 dipules, and flowers in axillary opposite cyumles or aggregated in terminal spikes, rarely 

 solitary. Qrrolla more or less bilabiate. Stamens 4, didynamous, or sometimes 2 ; an- 

 tlL&'-cells parallel, or often divaricate, — sometimes separated by a long filiform connective. 

 Ovary deeply 4-lobed, becoming, in fruit, 4 little seed-like nutlets, surrounding the base of 

 the style, in the bottom of the persistent calyx ; each lobe, or nutlet, containing a singla 

 seed with little or no albumsn. Foliage containing receptacles of aromatic cril. 



