Verbena urticifolia L.

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Verbenaceae

• Scientific Name

  Verbena urticifolia L.

• Description

  Species Description - Erect, single-stemmed annual or perennial, 4–15 dm, often branching from near the base; lvs broadly lanceolate to oblong-ovate, petiolate, 5–12 cm, coarsely and somewhat doubly crenate-serrate; spikes paniculately disposed, slender; bracts ovate, acuminate, ciliate; cal-teeth short, subequal; cor white, the tube scarcely exserted, the limb 2(–4) mm wide, the lobes obtuse; fr exposed at the top; nutlets 1–2 mm; 2n=14. Thickets, moist fields, meadows, and waste places; N.B. (?) and Que. to N.D., s. to Fla. and Tex. June–Oct. Var. urticifolia, with the range of the sp., has the lvs hirtellous or glabrous on both sides, the hairs whitish, 1–1.3 mm, the cal strigose, 2–2.3 mm at maturity, and the nutlets 2 mm, corrugated on the back.

• Discussion

  Var. leiocarpa L. M. Perry & Fernald, with more restricted range, from Conn. and Pa. to N.D., S.C., and Okla., has the lvs densely velutinous with hairs to 0.3 mm, the mature cal puberulent, to 2 mm, the nutlets 1.5 mm, smooth. A hybrid with V. stricta is V. ×illicita Moldenke; one with V. hastata is V. ×engelmannii Moldenke.

• Common Names

  white vervain