Verbena rigida Spreng.
creeping verbena
Perennial with creeping underground stems; aerial parts densely scabrid with many hairs bulbous-based; aerial stems spreading towards base, then ascending to c. 1 m tall, square. Lvs sessile, 3-10 × 1-2 cm; basal lvs often obovate; stem lvs narrow-elliptic or elliptic-oblong, sharply dentate or serrate; veins impressed; base ± amplexicaul except in basal lvs; apex acute. Infl. with several branches, densely hairy; spikes mostly 1.5-2.5 cm long at maximum flowering, elongating to 5 cm long at fruiting, stout; fls dense. Bracts 6-10 mm long, narrow-lanceolate to lanceolate, subulate, rigidly ciliate, somewhat glandular, purple, prominently keeled, well-exserted beyond calyx. Calyx 4-5 mm long; teeth subulate, glandular-hairy, purple. Corolla purple, sometimes drying deep blue; tube 2-3× length of calyx, hairy outside; limb 5-7 mm diam. Nutlets 1.5-2 mm long, oblong, ± light brown, longitudinally ribbed dorsally, white-papillate on flattened ventral surface.
N.; S.: scattered localities as far S. as Canterbury.
S. Brazil, Uruguay 1926
Cultivation escape around gardens, especially by hedges, on roadsides and waste places, occasionally on arable land.
FL Jan-Dec.
Creeping verbena is a common garden ornamental in many parts of the country but is often regarded with disfavour because of its invasive underground stems and almost tuberous roots. It is often known as V. venosa in N.Z.
