Tribe I. VERBENEÆ. Ovary 2–4-celled, with an erect anatropous ovule in each cell.
1. Verbena. Flowers in spikes or heads. Calyx tubular. Fruit splitting into 4 nutlets.
2. Lippia. Flowers in spikes or heads. Calyx short, 2-cleft. Fruit splitting into 2 nutlets.
3. Callicarpa. Flowers in axillary cymes. Calyx short. Fruit berry-like, with 4 nutlets.
Tribe II. PHRYMEÆ. Ovary 1-celled; ovule erect, orthotropous.
4. Phryma. Flowers in slender spikes. Calyx cylindrical, 2-lipped. Fruit an achene.
1. VERBÈNA, Tourn. Vervain.
Calyx tubular, 5-toothed, one of the teeth often shorter than the others. Corolla tubular, often curved, salver-form; the border somewhat unequally 5-cleft. Stamens included; the upper pair occasionally without anthers. Style slender; stigma mostly 2-lobed. Fruit splitting into 4 seed-like nutlets.—Flowers sessile, in single or often panicled spikes, bracted; produced all summer. (The Latin name for any sacred herb; derivation obscure.)—The species present numerous spontaneous hybrids.
§ 1. Anthers not appendaged; flowers small, in narrow spikes.
[*] Spikes filiform, with flowers or at least fruits scattered, naked, the inconspicuous bracts shorter than the calyx.