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| Scientific Name | Verbena canescens | USDA PLANTS Symbol | VECA5 |
| Common Name | Gray Vervain | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 32089 |
| Family | Verbenaceae (Verbena) | Wildflower Center Ref. | Click Here |
| Description |
Habitat: Dry, rocky, sandy or clay soils on hillsides, ravines, fields and pastures. Plant: Erect to widely spreading hairy perennial with one or a few stems branching from base and above; often clump-forming; 6 to 18 inches tall. Leaves: Opposite, oblong-lanceolate, sessile; margins coarsely dentate or slightly pinnatifid; leaf surfaces hairy, veined beneath. Inflorescence: Small, violet flowers in slender elongated spikes; each flower subtended by a small ovate-triangular bract, may be longer than the calyx; 5-toothed calyx 1/8 to 3/16-inch long; blue to violet tubular corolla about 1/4-inch across with 5 united flaring petals (salverform) with tube slightly longer than the calyx. Bloom Period April to October. References: "Wildflowers of Texas" by Geyata Ajilvsgi and "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Texas Status: Native |
| Scientific Name | Verbena halei | USDA PLANTS Symbol | VEHA |
| Common Name | Texas Vervain, Texas Verbena, Slender Verbena | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 32100 |
| Family | Verbenaceae (Verbena) | Wildflower Center Ref. | Click Here |
| Description |
Habitat: Sandy or calcareous soils on hillsides, prairies, fields, woodlands and roadsides; abundant throughout most of Texas. Plant: Erect generally smooth perennial branched from base, 1 to 2-1/2 feet tall, stems branching above. Leaves: Various shapes of opposite leaves, 1-1/4 to 4 inches long; basal and lower stem leaves oblong to ovate, with long petioles and margins irregularly dentate or incised; mid stem leaves once or twice pinnatifid on shorter petioles; upper leaves somewhat dentate or entire and sessile. Inflorescence: Small, violet flowers in slender elongated, panicular spikes; each flower subtended by a very small ovate-triangular bract, about half the calyx length; 5-toothed calyx 1/8 long or shorter; bluish-lavender tubular corolla about 1/4-inch across with 5 united flaring petals (salverform) with tube slightly longer than the calyx. Bloom Period February to November. References: "Wildflowers of Texas" by Geyata Ajilvsgi, "Wildflowers of Texas" by Michael Eason and "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Texas Status: Native |
| Scientific Name | Verbena neomexicana | USDA PLANTS Symbol | VENE |
| Common Name | Hillside Vervain, New Mexico Verbena | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 32109 |
| Family | Verbenaceae (Verbena) | SEINet Reference |
Click Here |
| Description |
Habitat: Desert scrub, dry washes, plains, foothills and canyons, 2000 to 6000 ft. Plant: Slender, erect perennial, 12 to 28 inches tall, single or a few hairy stems branched from base and above. Leaves: Opposite, narrowly ovate in outline and deeply incised-dentate or pinnatifid, 3/4 to 2 inches long, sessile or nearly so, hairy surfaces and somewhat glandular; lower leaves withering early. Inflorescence: Small, violet flowers in 1 to 3 slender elongated spikes per stem; each flower subtended by a small ovate-triangular bract, shorter than the calyx; 5-toothed calyx 1/8 to 3/16-inch long; blue to viloet, rarely white, tubular corolla with 5 united flaring petals (salverform) slightly longer than the calyx. Bloom Period April to November. References: "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston, SEINet and Southest Arizona Wildflowers and Plants. Note: V. neomexicana is not supposed to exist in the Big Bend area according to the BONAP map on the right; however it appears in the SEINet Big Bend Checklist and on iNaturalist. It is possible that the images here are actually V. perennis or V. canescens; however, there are differences in leaf shape, hairiness, and bracts with these images being more like V. neomexicana in these respects. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Texas Status: Native |
| Scientific Name | Verbena plicata | USDA PLANTS Symbol | VEPL |
| Common Name | Fanleaf Vervain | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 32076 |
| Family | Verbenaceae (Verbena) | SEINet Reference |
Click Here |
| Description |
Habitat: Sandy or gravelly soils in open prairies, flats, ravines, hillsides, roadsides and disturbed areas. Plant: Upright to decumbent perennial, 4 to 8 branches from base; 4 to 16 inches tall, densely hairy. Leaves: Opposite, spatulate to elliptic-ovate, 5/8 to 1-5/8 inches long and 3/8 to 1 inch wide, margins incised-serrate, veins recessed on upper surface and prominent and whitish beneath; both surfaces hairy; winged petiole. Inflorescence: Elongated spikes 2 to 10 inches long of small blue to lavender or purple 5-lobed blossoms, about 1/3-inch across, above slightly longer ovate-lanceolate bracts. Bloom Period February to September. References: "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston, "Wildflowers of Texas" by Michael Eason, SEINet and American Southwest. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Texas Status: Native |
| Scientific Name | Verbena xutha | USDA PLANTS Symbol | VEXU |
| Common Name | Gulf Vervain | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. | 32081 |
| Family | Verbenaceae (Verbena) | Wildflower Center Ref. | Click Here |
| Description |
Habitat: Sandy soils of beaches, roadsides, fields and blackland prairies; generally found in Southeast and South Texas with isolated populations in the Big Bend area. Plant: Upright annual often growing in clumps; stems up to 6 feet tall, tetragonal, hairy, branched. Leaves: Opposite, pinnatifid or 3-lobed, central lobe much larger (2 to 5 inches long) than 2 side lobes; lobes of upper leaves lanceolate; margins coarsely dentate and leaf surfaces hairy. Inflorescence: Elongated spikes of blue-purple 5-lobed blossoms 1/2-inch wide or less with pale centers. Bloom Period March to October. References: "Wildflowers of Texas" by Michael Eason and "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston. |
BONAP Distribution Map |
Texas Status: Native |
