The Verbenaceae ( ), the verbena family or vervain family, is a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of mainly

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

s. It contains

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s, shrubs, and

herbs In general use, herbs are a widely distributed and widespread group of plants, excluding vegetables and other plants consumed for macronutrients, with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring and garnishing food, for medicina ...

notable for heads,

spikes The SPIKES protocol is a method used in clinical medicine to break bad news to patients and families. As receiving bad news can cause distress and anxiety, clinicians need to deliver the news carefully. By using the SPIKES method for introducing a ...

, or clusters of small

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s, many of which have an aromatic smell. The family Verbenaceae includes 32 genera and 800

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

Phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

studies have shown that numerous

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...

traditionally classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in

Lamiaceae The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, savo ...

. The mangrove genus '' Avicennia'', sometimes placed in the Verbenaceae or in its own family, Avicenniaceae, has been placed in the

Acanthaceae Acanthaceae is a family (the acanthus family) of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing almost 250 genera and about 2500 species. Most are tropical herbs, shrubs, or twining vines; some are epiphytes. Only a few species are distributed in ...

. Economically important Verbenaceae include: * Lemon verbena (''Aloysia triphylla''), grown for aroma or flavoring *

Verbena ''Verbena'' (), also known as vervain or verveine, is a genus in the family Verbenaceae. It contains about 150 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants. The majority of the species are native to the Americas ...

s or vervains (''Verbena''), some used in

herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedie ...

, others grown in gardens

Taxonomy

Duranta repens (Golden Dew Drops) W IMG 9162

Tribes and genera in the family and their estimated species numbers: Casselieae (Schauer) Tronc. * ''

Casselia ''Casselia'' is a small genus of flowering plants in the verbena family (Verbenaceae) first named in 1823. Plants in the genus ''Casselia'' are native to South America. Species , Kew's Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (P ...

Nees Christian Gottfried Daniel Nees von Esenbeck (14 February 1776 – 16 March 1858) was a prolific German botanist, physician, zoologist, and natural philosopher. He was a contemporary of Goethe and was born within the lifetime of Linnaeus. He ...

Mart. Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Life Martius was born at Erlangen, the son of Prof Ernst Wilhelm Martius, court apothecary. He graduated PhD f ...

- 6 species * ''

Parodianthus ''Parodianthus'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. Its native range is northern Argentina. The genus name of ''Parodianthus'' is in honour of Lorenzo Raimundo Parodi (1895–1966), an Argentinian botanist and ag ...

'' Tronc. - 2 species * '' Tamonea'' Aubl. - 6 species Citharexyleae Briq. * '' Citharexylum'' L. (fiddlewoods) - 60 species * ''

Rehdera ''Rehdera'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. Its native range is (south-eastern) Mexico to Central America, and it is found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The genus name ...

'' Moldenke - 3 species Duranteae Bent. * '' Bouchea''

Cham. Adelbert von Chamisso (; 30 January 178121 August 1838) was a Germans, German poet and botanist, author of ''Peter Schlemihl'', a famous story about a man who sold his shadow. He was commonly known in French as Adelbert de Chamisso (or Chamissot ...

- 13 species * ''

Chascanum ''Chascanum'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae The Verbenaceae ( ), the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs, and herbs notable for head ...

'' E.Mey - 27 species * '' Duranta'' L. - 31 species * '' Recordia'' Moldenke - 2 species * '' Stachytarpheta'' Vahl - 120 species Lantaneae Endl. * ''

Aloysia ''Aloysia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are known generally as beebrushes.

'' Palau (beebrushes) - 36 species * '' Burroughsia'' Moldenke - 2 species * '' Coelocarpum''

Balf.f. Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour, KBE, FRS, FRSE (31 March 1853 – 30 November 1922) was a Scottish botanist. He was Regius Professor of Botany at the University of Glasgow from 1879 to 1885, Sherardian Professor of Botany at the University of Oxf ...

- 6 species * ''

Diphyllocalyx ''Diphyllocalyx'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. Its native range is Cuba. Species: *'' Diphyllocalyx armatus'' *'' Diphyllocalyx cayensis'' *'' Diphyllocalyx galanus'' *'' Diphyllocalyx myrtifolius'' ...

'' ( Griseb.) Greuter & R.Rankin - 6 species * '' Isidroa'' Greuter & R.Rankin - 1 species * ''

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially ...

'' L. (shrub verbenas, lantanas) - 100 species * ''

Lippia ''Lippia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. It was named after Augustus Lippi, (1678-1705), a French naturalist and botanist (with Italian origins). He was killed in Abyssinia. The genus contains roughly 20 ...

'' L. - 140 species * ''

Nashia ''Nashia'' is a genus of flowering plant in the vervain family, Verbenaceae. Until recently, there were 7 known species to exist within the genus ''Nashia''.Marx, H. E., et al. (2010)A molecular phylogeny and classification of Verbenaceae.''Amer ...

Millsp. Charles Frederick Millspaugh (June 20, 1854– September 15, 1923) was an American botany, botanist and physician, born at Ithaca, New York, Ithaca, New York (state), N.Y., and educated at Cornell University, Cornell and the New York Homeopathi ...

- 1 species * ''

Phyla Phyla, the plural of ''phylum'', may refer to: * Phylum, a biological taxon between Kingdom and Class * by analogy, in linguistics, a large division of possibly related languages, or a major language family which is not subordinate to another Phyl ...

'' Lour. (fogfruits) - 5 species Neospartoneae Olmstead & N.O'Leary * ''

Diostea ''Diostea'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. The only species is ''Diostea juncea''. Its native range is Southern South America. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q10266672 Verbenaceae Verbenaceae g ...

'' Miers - 1 species * '' Lampayo'' Phil. ex Murillo - 3 species * ''

Neosparton ''Neosparton'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae The Verbenaceae ( ), the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs, and herbs notable for hea ...

'' Griseb. - 3 species Petreeae Briq. * '' Petrea'' L. (sandpaper vines) - 12 species Priveae Briq. * '' Pitraea'' Turcz. - 1 species * '' Priva''

Adans. Michel Adanson (7 April 17273 August 1806) was an 18th-century French botanist and naturalist who traveled to Senegal to study flora and fauna. He proposed a "natural system" of taxonomy distinct from the binomial system forwarded by Linnaeus. ...

- 20 species Verbeneae Dumort. * '' Glandularia''

J.F.Gmel. , fields = , workplaces = University of GöttingenUniversity of Tübingen , alma_mater = University of Tübingen , doctoral_advisor = Philipp Friedrich GmelinFerdinand Christoph Oetinger , academic_advisors = , doctora ...

- 88 species * ''

Hierobotana ''Hierobotana'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae The Verbenaceae ( ), the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs, and herbs notab ...

'' Briq. - 1 species * '' Junellia'' Moldenke - 38 species * '' Mulguraea'' N.O’Leary & P.Peralta - 11 species * ''

'' L. (verbenas/vervains) - 57 species Unassigned * '' Dipyrena'' Hook. - 1 species * ''

Rhaphithamnus ''Rhaphithamnus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Verbenaceae. Traditionally, it has been considered by the locals that the berries of this genus of plants are toxic or poisonous, so their consumption is not recommended. Species ...

'' Miers - 2 species

Excluded genera

Various genera formerly included in the family Verbenaceae are now treated under other families: ;Moved to

: * '' Avicennia'' L. ;Moved to

: * '' Amasonia'' L.f. * ''

Brachysola ''Brachysola'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 2000. It contains two known species, both endemic to the State of Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupyi ...

'' (F.Muell.) Rye * '' Callicarpa'' L. * '' Caryopteris'' Bunge * ''

Chloanthes ''Chloanthes'' is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus are shrubs with hairy foliage, blistered or wrinkly leaves and flowers with five petals fused at the base, usu ...

'' R.Br. * '' Clerodendrum'' L. * '' Congea'' Roxb. * '' Cornutia'' L. * ''

Cyanostegia ''Cyanostegia'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1849. The entire genus is endemic to Australia. ;Species * ''Cyanostegia angustifolia'' Turcz. - Western Australia * ''Cyanostegia corifolia'' Munir - Western Aus ...

'' Turcz. * ''

Dicrastylis ''Dicrastylis'' is a genus of plants in the Lamiaceae, first described in 1855. The entire genus is endemic to Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainla ...

'' J.Drumm. ex Harv. * ''

Discretitheca ''Discretitheca'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1999. It contains only one known species, ''Discretitheca nepalensis'', endemic to Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly th ...

'' P.D.Cantino * '' Faradaya'' F.Muell. * '' Garrettia'' H.R.Fletcher * ''

Glossocarya ''Glossocarya'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1843. It is native to Indochina, Sri Lanka, New Guinea, and Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.sv ...

'' Wall. ex Griff. * ''

Gmelina ''Gmelina'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae. It consists of about 35 species in Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Southeast Asia, India and a few in Africa. Some species such as ''G. arborea'' have been planted and/or become na ...

'' L. * ''

Hemiphora ''Hemiphora'' is a genus of five species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. Plants in this genus are woolly shrubs with warty, hairy leaves and with five petals joined to form a tube-shaped f ...

'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell. * '' Holmskioldia'' Retz. * ''

Hosea In the Hebrew Bible, Hosea ( or ; he, הוֹשֵׁעַ – ''Hōšēaʿ'', 'Salvation'; gr, Ὡσηέ – ''Hōsēé''), son of Beeri, was an 8th-century BCE prophet in Israel and the nominal primary author of the Book of Hosea. He is t ...

'' Ridl. * '' Hymenopyramis'' Wall. ex Griff. * '' Kalaharia'' Baill. * '' Karomia'' Dop * ''

Lachnostachys ''Lachnostachys'' (common name Lambs tails) is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1842 by William Jackson Hooker. The type species is ''Lachnostachys ferruginea''. The genus name, ''Lachnostachys'', com ...

'' Hook. * '' Mallophora'' Endl. * '' Monochilus'' Fisch. & C.A.Mey. * ''

Newcastelia ''Newcastelia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1857 by Ferdinand von Mueller, who placed it in the family, Verbenaceae. The entire genus is endemic to Australia. ;Species # '' Newcastelia bracteo ...

'' F.Muell. * '' Oncinocalyx'' F.Muell. * ''

Oxera ''Oxera'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae native to Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the western Pacific. Description Species of ''Oxera'' show a variety of growth forms, including lianas, shrubs and trees. The leaves are si ...

'' Labill. * ''

Peronema ''Peronema'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1822. It contains only one known species, ''Peronema canescens'', native to Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗ� ...

'' Jack * '' Petitia'' Jacq. * '' Petraeovitex'' Oliv. * ''

Physopsis ''Physopsis'' is a genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1849. The entire genus is endemic to the State of Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the wes ...

'' Turcz. * ''

Pityrodia ''Pityrodia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae and is endemic to Australia, most species occurring in Western Australia, a few in the Northern Territory and one in Queensland. Plants in this genus are shrubs ...

'' R.Br. * '' Premna'' L. * '' Pseudocarpidium'' Millsp. * '' Pseudocaryopteris'' P.D.Cantino * '' Rotheca'' Raf. * ''

Schnabelia ''Schnabelia'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1921. The entire genus is endemic to China. ;Species Below are species currently placed in the genus by the World Checklist. Names used by Flora of China are in par ...

'' Hand.-Mazz. * ''

Spartothamnella ''Teucrium'' is a cosmopolitan genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, commonly known as germanders. Plants in this genus are perennial herbs or shrubs, with branches that are more or less square in cross-section, leaves arranged in op ...

'' Briq. * ''

Sphenodesme ''Sphenodesme'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1820. The genus is native to southern China, the Indian Subcontinent, Indo-China and Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and th ...

'' Jack * ''

Symphorema ''Symphorema'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1805. It is native to Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a su ...

'' Roxb. * '' Tectona'' L.f. * ''

Teijsmanniodendron ''Teijsmanniodendron'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1904. It is native to Southeast Asia and Papuasia Papuasia is a Level 2 botanical region defined in the World Geographical Scheme for Re ...

'' Koord. * ''

Teucridium ''Teucridium'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, first described as a genus in 1853. It contains only one known species, ''Teucridium parvifolium'', endemic to New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island co ...

'' Hook.f. * '' Tripora'' P.D.Cantino * '' Vitex'' L. ;Moved to

Oleaceae Oleaceae, also known as the olive family, is a taxonomic family of flowering shrubs, trees, and a few lianas in the order Lamiales, It presently comprises 28 genera, one of which is recently extinct.Peter S. Green. 2004. "Oleaceae". pages ...

: * ''

Dimetra DIMETRA IP is the brand name under which Motorola markets its implementation of the TETRA digital radio communications standard. When Motorola split into Motorola Solutions and Motorola Mobility in 2011, Motorola Solutions retained Dimetra and ...

'' Kerr * ''

Nyctanthes ''Nyctanthes'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae, native to southeastern Asia. It is currently accepted as containing two species; other species previously included in this genus have been transferred to other genera, most of ...

'' L. ;Moved to

Orobanchaceae Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a family of mostly parasitic plants of the order Lamiales, with about 90 genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera (e.g., '' Pedicularis'', '' Rhinanthus'', '' Striga'') were formerly included in ...

: * ''

Asepalum ''Asepalum'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. Its native range is Northeastern and Eastern Tropical Africa Although tropical Africa is mostly familiar to the West for its rainforests, this biogeographic ...

'' Marais * ''

Cyclocheilon ''Cyclocheilon'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. Its native range is Northeastern Tropical Africa, Southwestern Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ ...

'' Oliv. * '' Nesogenes'' A.DC. ;Moved to

Phrymaceae Phrymaceae, also known as the lopseed family, is a small family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales.Peter F. Stevens (2001 onwards). "Phrymaceae" At: Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. At: Botanical Databases At: Missouri Botanical Garden Websit ...

: * '' Phryma'' L. ;Moved to Stilbaceae: * '' Campylostachys'' Kunth * ''

Euthystachys ''Euthystachys'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Stilbaceae described as a genus in 1848. There is only one known species, ''Euthystachys abbreviata'', native to the Cape Province region in South Africa South Africa, official ...

'' A.DC. * '' Stilbe'' P.J.Bergius * ''

Thesmophora ''Thesmophora'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Stilbaceae described as a genus in 1993. There is only one known species, ''Thesmophora scopulosa'', native to the Cape Province region in South Africa. See also *John Patrick Rourke ...

'' Rourke

References

External links

* *
Verbenaceae of Mongolia in FloraGREIF
i
BoDD – Botanical Dermatology Database
{{Taxonbar, from=Q156960 Lamiales families