Verbena urticifolia (White vervain)

Verbena urticifolia L.

White vervain

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Asteridae	A large class that encompasses asters
Order	Lamiales	Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family	Verbenaceae	Verbena (vervain) family, about 3,000 species
Genus	Verbena	From the word meaning “vervain”
Species	urticifolia	Leaves resemble those of the nettle family (Urticaceae)

About plant names...

White vervain is native to North America.

Identification: Plants are 16-40" (40-101 cm) tall, with a main stem that is hairy, hollow, and roughly square in cross-section. Leaves are opposite and unlobed, deeply veined, with irregular teeth. They are up to 6" (15 cm) × 2" (5 cm), varying from lance-shaped (lanceolate) to oval (ovate), on stems (petioles) up to 2" (5 cm) long. The flowering spikes are the most unique feature of these plants: multiply branched, up to 10" (25 cm) long and very narrow, disorderly looking, with tiny white flowers less than ⅛" (3.2 mm) around. Only a few flowers appear at a time, and they are small enough so that the spikes are mostly green.

Online References:

Verbena urticifolia at Illinois Wildflowers

Verbena urticifolia on Missouriplants.com

Verbena urticifolia at Minnesota Wildflowers

Verbena urticifolia at the University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium

Verbena urticifolia at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Verbena urticifolia on Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants

7/12/2016 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Kibby Climb

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 4" (13 × 10 cm)

8/6/2013 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 3½ × 4½" (8.9 × 11 cm)

7/12/2016 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area,

8/6/2013 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 3½" (6.4 × 9.6 cm)

8/21/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 14 × 9" (35 × 23 cm)

Verbena urticifolia description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

8/2/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 6" (21 × 14 cm)

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (18 × 12 cm)

8/21/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 15 × 10" (39 × 26 cm)

7/12/2016 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area,

7/12/2016 · Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Kibby Climb

8/6/2013 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 11 × 7" (28 × 18 cm)

8/2/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 4½" (14 × 11 cm)

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9.2 cm)

8/6/2013 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm)

Range:

About this map...