202 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
GENUS I.—Y ERBENA. Tournef. 
Calyx tubular, 4- or 5-tootlied. 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-celied 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 ferfiten, 
which is of great antiquity, and was originally applied to a plant esteemed in magic. 
SPECIES I.— VERBENA OFFICINALIS. Linn. 
Plate MXVIII. 
Reich. Tc. 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. 
Leaves pinnatifid, hispid. FloAvers 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. 
Hoot stock 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, 
ent ire or toothed on the lower side, the basal ones sometimes larger, 
so that t lie leaf becomes somewhat trifid ; upper leaves narrower, 
sometimes entire. Spikes dense when in flower, afterwards elon- 
gating and becoming virgate. Corolla-tube about twice as long as 
the ealyx ; limb \ inch across, pale-lilac. Fruit of 1 reddish-brown 
nuts, truncate at the apex, granulated with white points on the 
inner face. Plant dull-green, more or less hispid. 
Common Vervain. 
French, Verveim officinale. German, Ccbriiuchliches Eisenkrauf 
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 Verbeualia were auuually 
