Common Name

Inland Verbena

Family

Verbenaceae

Notes

Annual or perennial forb to 1.5m tall. Leaves opposite each other, flat, 1.5-12cm long, 5-50mm wide, rough, sticky, deeply divided into long, narrow, often toothed lobes, tips pointed. Upper leaves sometimes almost entire. Flowers tubular, pink or mauve, with 5 lobes, in lax panicles at the tops of the stems, the flowers farther apart on the lower part of the inflorescence, closer together higher up. Poorly known Vic (as Verbena officinalis var. africana).

Differs from Verbena gaudichaudii in that the inflorescence is distinctly glandular.

Differs from Verbena officinalis in that the lower leaves are deeply dissected and toothed.

The description above is based on the description in Munir, A.A., (2002) A taxonomic revision of the genus Verbena L. (Verbenaceae) in Australia. Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens 20: 76-78, 82-86

PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Verbena~africana

Photos downloaded by permission from Burt Wursten (photographer), http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/