Species information Abo ut Reso urces Hom e A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Verbena litoralis Click on images to enlarge Family Verbenaceae Scientific Name Verbena litoralis Kunth Kunth, C.S. in Humboldt, F.W.H.A. von, Bonpland, A.J.A. & Kunth, C.S. (1818), Nova Genera et Species Plantarum 2(7): 276, t. 137. Type: F.W.H.A. Humboldt & A.J.A.Bonpland s.n, "in salsis maritimis Oceani Pacifici prope Truxillo, Santa et Lima", Peru (P Lectotype). Flowers. Copyright Australian Plant Image Index (APII). Photographer: M. Fagg. Common name Common Vervain; Vervain; European Vervain; Common Verbena; Holywort Weed * Stem Usually flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-2 m tall. Leaves Scale bar 10mm. Copyright CSIRO Leaf blades about 4-12 x 1-4 cm, sessile or on petioles about 0.1-0.4 cm long. Lateral veins about 3 or 4 on each side of the midrib, depressed on the upper surface. Leaf blades hispid, hairy on both the upper and lower surfaces. Twigs square in transverse section and longitudinally ribbed. Flowers Flowers borne in numerous long narrow terminal spikes about 5-20 cm long. Flowers small, about 1-1.5 mm diam. Spikes usually arranged in loose cymose inflorescences. Calyx about 3 mm long, branched. Corolla tube 3-4 mm long, densely hairy in the throat, basal part of the corolla tube white or cream. Corolla lobes about 0.6 mm long, mauve, tube pink or reddish towards the apex, Pairs of stamens attached at different levels in the corolla tube. Anthers less than 0.5 mm diam., filaments very short, about 0.2 mm long. Style 10th leaf stage. Copyright CSIRO about 1 mm long. Stigma +/- globular but with a lateral spur. Fruit Fruits about 1.5-2 x 0.7-1.2 mm, surface +/- smooth. Up to four nutlets produced from each flower. Nutlets about 1 mm long. Seeds about 1.2 x 0.6 mm. Embryo about 1 mm long, cotyledons about as wide as the radicle. Seedlings Cotyledons +/- ovate, about 2-5 x 2-4 mm, apex rounded but ending in a short blunt gland-like mucro, base truncate. Petioles about 2-3 mm long. First pair of leaves opposite, margin finely toothed, stem hairy. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade sessile or almost sessile (petiole about 2-3 mm long), leaf blade margin serrate, Cotyledon stage, epigeal germination. Copyright CSIRO both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blade and the stem clothed in white erect hairs. Seed germination time 18 to 239 days. Distribution and Ecology An introduced species originally from southern Europe now naturalised in NEQ, CEQ and most parts of eastern Australia as far south as Tasmania. Altitudinal range in NEQ from near sea level to 900 m. Usually grows as a weed of agricultural land but also found along roads and in disturbed areas in rain forest. Natural History & Notes Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall) X Shrub (woody or herbaceous, 1-6 m tall) X RFK Code 3460 CC-BY Australian Tropical Herbarium unless otherwise indicated in the images..