6 The BRITISH HERBAL. 
GENUS V. 
VERVAIN. 
F E R B E N A, 
THE flower is formed of a fingle petal : it is tubular at the lower part, and toward the upper ia 
bent or crooiied •, from this part it fpreads into a liind of gaping mouth ; and is divided into five 
ferments, which form two irregular lips. The fevcral fegments are fliort, roundcdj and nearly 
eq°ual in length ; and there is lefs of the labiated form than in moft others of this clafs. The cup is 
tubular andlngulated : it is formed of a fingle piece, divided into five fegments at the rim ; and one 
of thefe is Ihortcr th.m the reft. The feeds ftand naked in the cup -, and they are oblong and 
brown. 
Linnaus places this among the diandrh mmgynia; the threads in the flower be.ng two, and the 
flyle fingle. , . „ ^ , 
By this arrange.nent he joins it in the fame clafs with the lycopus, and leparates it far from the 
Other verticillate plants. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
Common Vervain. 
Verhena vulgaris. 
The root is compofed of many thick, fhort 
fibres, conne6ted to a fmall oblong head. 
The italic is firm, upright, and very tough : 
its colour is a brownifii green, often red towards 
the bafe \ and it is edged and angiilated. 
The leaver ftand in pairs : they are oblong, 
moderately broad, and deeply finuated and in- 
dented : the indentings are rounded, and the end 
of the leaf is obtufe. 
The flowers are fmall, and of a pale, faint co- 
lour, white, with a tinge of blLiifli or purpiifh 
and they fl:and in long, {lender fpikcs at the tops 
of the ftalks and branches. 
The feeds are oblong, fmall, and brown. 
It is common by path-ways, and flowers ii) 
June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Verhena communis carulea 
flare. Others, Verbena vulgaris, and Herba fcicra. 
It is a plant of great virtue, though under a ge- 
neral negleft : it is good againfl; difordcrs of the 
nerves ; and is fuperior to mofl; things in the 
cure of inveterate headachs. For this purpofe 
the tops fliould be dried and powdered, and taken 
for a confiderable time, twenty grains as a dole. 
The juice boiled to a fyrup with honey is ex- 
cellent againfl coughs. 
The infufion, in manner of tea, is good againfl: 
obflru6tions of the vifcera, and particularly of 
the fpleen. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES. 
1. Fine-leaved Vervain. 
Verhena tcnuifolia. 
The root is fibrous. 
The flalks are numerous, weak, and in great 
part procumbent : they are of a pale green, and 
angulated. 
The leaves are placed in pairs ; and they are 
oblong, moderately broad, and very beauti- 
fully divided : they are firfl cut in a pinnated 
manner ; and thcfc fegments are again divided 
pretty deeply. Their colgur is a brovvnifh green. 
The flowers are fmall, and placed in fingle, 
long, and very flendcr fpikes. 
It is a native of Spain, and other warm parts 
of Europe. It flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Verbena tcnuifolia ; a name 
copied by moft others. 
This plant is an inftance of the extreme folly 
of placing the verticiilate plants in diftincl clafl^es 
from the flight diflerences in the filaments of the 
flower. 
Linnisus feparates vervain from the reft oF them, 
becaufe it has only two threads in the flower i 
whereas they have in general fiaur ; but this Ipe- 
cies of vervain has four threads. That author 
calls it Verbena tetrandra ; a contradidion in the 
moft exprefs words to his claflical charafter 
wherein vervain fliands, that being diandria. 
2. Great-flowered American Vervain. 
Verbena flore violaceo majore. 
The root is long, whitifh, and full of fibres: 
The ftalk is firm, upright, and of a pale green 
toward the top, and at the bottom purplifli. 
The leaves are of an oval lhape, dented at the 
edges, and of a fine bright green. 
The flowers are very numerous and beau- 
tiful : they terminate the ftalks in long fpikes, 
with leaves among them i and they are of the 
fhape of cowflips, but of the colour of the violet, 
a fine deep blue purple. 
The feeds are long and flender. 
It is frequent in many parts of North Ame- 
rica, and flowers in July. 
Pkikenet c:ills it Verbena orubica temiifoUa, 
GENUS 
