Verbena x hybrida Groenl. & Rumpler, L. de Vilmorin. Vilm. Ill. Blumengartn. 1: 1263. 1873.

This is an artificial cross between various species: V. peruviana x V. phylogiflora x V. platensis x V. tweedieana

Perennial herb; erect, prostrate or creeping, 30-60 cm tall. Stem quadrangular, hirsute, with glandular and non-glandular trichomes. Leaves opposite, decussate, sessile, ovate to ovate- oblong, 4-12 cm x 2-7 cm, apex acute, base acute to attenuate, margin incised, irregularly crenate or serrate or pinnatifid, adaxial surface strigose, abaxial surface strigose-hirsute, especially on veins; petiole 4-10 mm long. Inflorescence 2.5-3.7 cm long and up to 6 cm in diameter, compact terminal, umbel-like spike, dome-shaped, pedunculate, peduncle 3.7-7 cm long, glandular and non-glandular pubescent, mostly solitary or in fascicles having 2-3 racemes, inflorescence positioned above and beyond foliage. Flowers bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, hypogynous, oblique, sessile, red, purple, pink or white; bracts ca. 4 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, glandular-pubescent and strigose, margin ciliate, acuminate. Calyx cylindrical-tubular with 5 ribs, 10-12 mm long and 2.5 mm diameter, glandular-pubescent, lobes 5, unequal, narrowly deltoid. Corolla salverform; tube 2-2.5 cm long, sparsely glandular-pubescent outside, villous with retrorse trichomes inside; limb ca. 2 cm across, oblique, obscurely 2-lipped: upper lip 2-lobed and lower lip 3-lobed, lobes 6-10 mm x 5-8 mm, emarginate; bases of corolla lobes usually white together forming “white eye“, mouth with dense growth of moniliform trichomes; limbs abaxially puberulent, adaxially glabrous. Stamens 4, included, didynamous, inserted near the mouth of corolla tube; anthers bithecous, ovate, ca. 1 mm long, thecae unequal, connective not protruded into a gland. Carpels 2, syncarpous; ovary ca. 1 mm long, oblong, 4-lobed, 4-locular, 1 ovule per loculus; style filiform, ca. 1.4 cm long; stigma bifid with a gland. Fruit schizocarpic, enclosed within calyx, separating into 4 one-seeded nutlets; seeds oblong, angular.

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