| Verbena halei | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Verbenaceae |
| Genus: | Verbena |
| Species: | V. halei |
| Binomial name | |
| Verbena halei | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Verbena halei, commonly known as Texas vervain, Texas verbena, or slender verbena, is a flowering plant in the vervain family, Verbenaceae. [2] [3] It is native to much of the southern United States and Mexico. Scattered populations have been found along the east coast (North Carolina), and its range stretches south to Florida, west to Arizona, and throughout most of Mexico. [1] [2] [4] It is a perennial shrub and grows in thickets and woodland borders. Flowers bloom March to June. [5] It has been introduced to Australia, in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. [1] [6]
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The flowers of the Verbena halei are trumpet shaped and grow in loose clusters along the top of the branches in colors that range from blue to purple. Each branch holds a few flowers, with each flower having only five petals. It has a square stem and grows small, dry fruits called schizocarps. [5] [7]
It was first formally named by American botanist John Kunkel Small in 1898. [8] It is sometimes considered a subspecies or variety of Verbena officinalis . [6]
