334 
Useful  Plants  of  Verbenacece. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
1       July,  1885. 
demulceDt,  pectoral  and  emmeiiagogue  properties.  The  first-named 
species  has  oval-oblong  leaves,  which  are  rounded  or  somewhat  heart- 
shaped  at  the  base,  finely  hairy  above  and  white  velvety  beneath. 
The  leaves  of  tlie  second  species  are  membranous,  oval  or  deltoid, 
acute,  serrate,  prickly,  rough  above  and  pubescent  beneath.  The  odor 
is  strong,  somewhat  resembling  wormwood ;  the  taste  is  refreshing  and 
at  first  piquant,  afterwards  mild.  Rio  de  la  Loza  ('^  Union  Med.  de 
Mex.,''  i,  1857)  found  in  the  plant  a  sweet  principle,  volatile,  and  sol- 
uble in  water  and  alcohol,  a  volatile  oil,  a  stearopten  resembling  cam- 
])lior,  etc 
It  will  be  observed  that  in  properties  and  constituents  these  plants 
resemble  some  of  the  labiatse,  and  other  Mexican  species  of  the  same 
genus  are  probably  equally  aromatic  or  more  so,  and  are  employed  in 
the  place  of  some  of  our  labiate  plants.  Thus  the  common  name  of 
salvia  poblano  or  salvia  real  de  Puebla  is  applied  to  Lippia  callicar- 
pitefolia,  Kunth,  which  species  is  regarded  as  the  Mexican  substitute 
of  the  sage  of  our  pharmacies.  Another  species,  Lippia  origanoidesj 
Kuntli,  which  is  known  in  Mexico  as  origano,  and  by  the  Mexican 
Pharmacopoeia  is  stated  to  be  a  substitute  for  our  common  origanum. 
The  verbenas  proper  are  well  represented  in  our  gardens  as  orna- 
mental plants  by  a  large  number  of  varieties  and  hybrids  produced 
from  about  half  a  dozen  species,  of  which  Verbena  Aubletia,  Lin.,  is 
indigenous  to  North  America,  from  Virginia  and  Illinois  southward, 
and  westward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  is  reputed  to  possess  acrid 
and  mucilaginous  properties.  The  otiier  cultivated  sjjecico  were  intro- 
duced from  Brazil  and  other  parts  of  South  America  about  50  or  60 
years  ago,  and  in  part  at  least  are  employed  in  their  native  countries 
as  diaphoretics  and  emmenagogues.  V.  erinoides,  Lainarck,  V.  teu- 
crifolia,  Martins,  V.  multifida,  Ruiz,  V.  chamsedrifolia,  Jussieu,  V.  teu- 
crioides,  Hooker,  V.  phlogiflora,  Cham.,  and  others  contribute  to  these 
ornamental  plants,  which  are  valued  for  their  bright  or  delicate  colors. 
V.  officinalis,  Lin.,  i.  a  European  weed,  somewhat  naturalized  in 
this  country,  with  piunatifid  leaves,  and  small  reddish  or  purphsh 
flowers,  inodorous,  bitterish  and  somewhat  astringent.  It  possesses 
mild  stimulant,  tonic  and  astringent  properties,  and  is  still  recognized 
by  the  French  Codex  as  verveine  officinale ;  also  by  the  Pharmacopoeia 
of  Mexico,  though  in  the  latter  country  in  place  of  it  V.  carol  iniana, 
Lin.,  is  generally  employed,  which  possesses  similar  prop  rties,  and  is 
common  in  dry  soils  in  our  Southern  States.    It  grows  to  the  height 
