Description :

• Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs
• Leaves opposite, seldom whorled or alternate, toothed, often incised or partite, seldom entire
• Flowers irregular; inflorescence a terminal, seldom axillary spike, often dense and compact to elongate, often corymbose or panicled; bracts narrow
• Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, less than half as long as, or only slightly shorter than corolla tube; tube 5-angled, with glandular hairs; teeth ovate, subacuminate
• Corolla blue, purplish blue or purple, salver- or funnel-shaped with a straight or curved, cylindric tube, ± pubescent within; limb variously 5-lobed, ± spreading
• Stamens 4, didynamous, included, usually arising near middle of tube but sometimes higher
• Ovary entire or 4-lobed, 4-locular; style slender, short; stigma unequally 2-lobed
• Fruit dry, enclosed in calyx, separating at maturity into 4 1-seeded, linear or linear-oblong, crustaceous nutlets
• x = 5, 7 (6) (high polyploidy)

Nomenclature:

• *Verbena L.
  • Linnaeus: 18 (1753)
  • Linnaeus: 12 (1754)
  • Baker: 286 (1900)
  • Pearson: 207 (1901)
  • Phillips: 636 (1951)
  • Franco: 123 (1972)
  • Moldenke & Moldenke: 198 (1983)
  • Verdcourt: 6 (1992)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species 200, in tropical and temperate America, 2 or 3 species in the Old World
• Southern Africa : Species 6, introduced, now widespread, mainly along roadsides and in waste places