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

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

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. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

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 ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s, 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 medicinal ...

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 mechani ...

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 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 the appropriate s ...

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 nomenclat ...

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, savory ...

. The mangrove genus ''

Avicennia ''Avicennia'' is a genus of flowering plants currently placed in the bear's breeches family, Acanthaceae. It contains mangrove trees, which occur in the intertidal zones of estuarine areas and are characterized by its "pencil roots", which are ...

'', 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 tem ...

. Economically important Verbenaceae include: *

Lemon verbena ''Aloysia citrodora'', lemon verbena, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native to South America. Other common names include lemon beebrush. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 17th ce ...

(''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 a ...

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 reme ...

, 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''

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 d ...

& Mart. - 6 species * '' Parodianthus'' Tronc. - 2 species * ''

Tamonea ''Tamonea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. Its native range is Mexico to Tropical America. Species: *''Tamonea boxiana'' *''Tamonea curassavica'' *''Tamonea euphrasiifolia'' *''Tamonea juncea'' *''Tamon ...

'' Aubl. - 6 species Citharexyleae Briq. * ''

Citharexylum ''Citharexylum'' is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. It contains shrub and tree species commonly known as fiddlewoods or zitherwoods. They are native to the Americas, ranging from southern Florida and Texas i ...

'' L. (fiddlewoods) - 60 species * '' Rehdera'' Moldenke - 3 species Duranteae Bent. * ''

Bouchea ''Bouchea'' is a genus of flowering plant 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 heads, ...

'' Cham. - 13 species * '' Chascanum'' E.Mey - 27 species * ''

Duranta ''Duranta'' is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. It contains 17 species of shrubs and small trees that are native from southern Florida to Mexico and South America. They are commonly cultivated as hedges and ornament ...

'' L. - 31 species * ''

Recordia ''Recordia'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. It is native to Bolivia and southern Brazil. The genus name of ''Recordia'' is in honour of Samuel J. Record (1881–1945), an American botanist who played a prom ...

'' Moldenke - 2 species * '' Stachytarpheta''

Vahl Vahl is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Christian-Friedrich Vahl (born 1955), German cardiac surgeon * Emanuel Vahl (born 1938), Ukrainian-Israeli composer *Herbert-Ernst Vahl, German SS general *Jens Vahl (1796–1854), Danis ...

- 120 species Lantaneae

Endl. Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher also known as Endlicher István László (24 June 1804, Pressburg, Bratislava (Pozsony) – 28 March 1849, Vienna) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian botanist, numismatist and Sinologist. He was a director of the Botan ...

* '' Aloysia'' Palau (beebrushes) - 36 species * '' Burroughsia'' Moldenke - 2 species * '' Coelocarpum'' Balf.f. - 6 species * '' Diphyllocalyx'' (

Griseb. August Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach () was a German botany, botanist and phytogeography, phytogeographer. He was born in Hannover on 17 April 1814 and died in Göttingen on 9 May 1879. Biography Grisebach studied at the Lyceum in Hanover, the clo ...

) Greuter & R.Rankin - 6 species * ''

Isidroa ''Isidroa'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. The only species is ''Isidroa spinifera''. Its native range is Hispaniola. It is found in Dominican Republic and Haiti. The genus name of ''Isidroa'' is i ...

'' 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 in ...

'' 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 200 s ...

'' L. - 140 species * '' Nashia'' Millsp. - 1 species * '' Phyla'' Lour. (fogfruits) - 5 species Neospartoneae Olmstead & N.O'Leary * ''

Diostea ''Diostea'' 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 notable fo ...

'' Miers - 1 species * ''

Lampayo ''Lampayo'' 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 heads, ...

'' Phil. ex Murillo - 3 species * '' Neosparton''

- 3 species Petreeae Briq. * ''

Petrea ''Petrea'' is a genus of evergreen flowering vines native to tropical Americas. The genus was named in honour of Robert James Petre, an English patron of botany. Species The following species are currently recognized: *'' Petrea blanchetiana ...

'' L. (sandpaper vines) - 12 species Priveae Briq. * ''

Pitraea ''Pitraea'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. It only contains one known species, ''Pitraea cuneato-ovata'' (Cav.) Caro Its native range is southern South America. It is found in (north-eastern and nort ...

'' Turcz. - 1 species * ''

Priva ''Priva'' is a genus of plant in family Verbenaceae. It contains the following species (but this list may be incomplete): * ''Priva auricoccea'', A.Meeuse * ''Priva socotrana'', Harold Norman Moldenke, Moldenke Gallery File:Priva cordifolia sy ...

'' Adans. - 20 species Verbeneae Dumort. * '' Glandularia'' J.F.Gmel. - 88 species * '' Hierobotana'' Briq. - 1 species * ''

Junellia ''Junellia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the verbena and vervain family Verbenaceae, native to the Andes, Patagonia, and the Falkland Islands. Species Currently accepted species include: *'' Junellia alba'' (Moldenke) Molinari *'' Junelli ...

'' Moldenke - 38 species * ''

Mulguraea ''Mulguraea'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Verbenaceae. Its native range is Peru to southern South America. It is found in the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The genus name of ''Mulguraea'' is in hono ...

'' N.O’Leary & P.Peralta - 11 species * ''

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

Dipyrena ''Dipyrena'' 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 heads, ...

Hook. Sir William Jackson Hooker (6 July 178512 August 1865) was an English botanist and botanical illustrator, who became the first director of Kew when in 1841 it was recommended to be placed under state ownership as a botanic garden. At Kew h ...

- 1 species * '' Rhaphithamnus'' Miers - 2 species

Excluded genera

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

: * ''

'' L. ;Moved to

: * '' Amasonia'' L.f. * '' Brachysola'' (F.Muell.) Rye * ''

Callicarpa ''Callicarpa'' (beautyberry) is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the family Lamiaceae.Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A. & Seberg, O. 2007: Flowering Plant Families of the World. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. They are native to east ...

'' L. * '' Caryopteris'' Bunge * '' Chloanthes'' R.Br. * ''

Clerodendrum ''Clerodendrum'' is a genus of flowering plants formerly placed in the family Verbenaceae, but now considered to belong to the Lamiaceae (mint) family. Its common names include glorybower, bagflower and bleeding-heart. It is currently classified ...

'' L. * ''

Congea ''Congea'' is a small genus of flowering plants in the Mentha, mint family, Lamiaceae, first described by William Roxburgh in 1820. It contains vines native to southern China, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia that are rarely seen in cultivation ...

'' Roxb. * ''

Cornutia ''Cornutia'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1753. It is native to tropical parts of the Western Hemisphere: southern Mexico, Central America, West Indies, northern South America.Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yán ...

'' L. * '' Cyanostegia'' Turcz. * '' Dicrastylis'' J.Drumm. ex Harv. * '' Discretitheca'' P.D.Cantino * ''

Faradaya ''Faradaya'' is a genus 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 belo ...

'' F.Muell. * '' Garrettia'' H.R.Fletcher * '' Glossocarya'' 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 nat ...

'' 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.Muell.) F.Muell. * ''

Holmskioldia ''Holmskioldia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Himalayas (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar) but widely cultivated as an ornamental and naturalized in many places (Southeast As ...

'' 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 ''Hymenopyramis'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described in 1843. It is native to Indochina and to the Hainan Hainan (, ; ) is the smallest and southernmost province of the People's Republic of China (PRC), consist ...

'' Wall. ex Griff. * '' Kalaharia'' Baill. * ''

Karomia ''Karomia'' is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae. The genus was introduced in 1932 by the botanist Paul Louis Amans Dop (1876-1954) in 'Bulletin du Muséum national d'histoire naturelle' (Paris) ser. 2. 4: 1052, for the single species '' ...

'' Dop * '' Lachnostachys'' Hook. * ''

Mallophora ''Mallophora'' is a genus of bee killers in the family Asilidae. There are about 60 described species in ''Mallophora''. Selected species * '' Mallophora ardens'' Macquart, 1834 * '' Mallophora atra'' Macquart, 1834 (black bee killer) * ''Mallop ...

'' Endl. * ''

Monochilus ''Monochilus'' is a genus of plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1835. It contains two known species, both endemic to Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the ...

'' Fisch. & C.A.Mey. * '' Newcastelia'' F.Muell. * ''

Oncinocalyx ''Teucrium betchei'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a perennial herb or undershrub with rod-like stems, linear to very narrow lance-shaped leaves and white flowers. Descript ...

'' 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 ...

'' Labill. * '' Peronema'' Jack * ''

Petitia ''Petitia'', called the bastard stopper, is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described in 1760. It contains two known species, native to Florida and the West Indies. ;Species * ''Petitia domingensis'' Jacq. - Ba ...

'' Jacq. * ''

Petraeovitex ''Petraeovitex'' is a genus of eight climbing shrubs species known to science, of the mint family Lamiaceae (formerly placed within Verbenaceae). Collectively, they grow naturally in Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, the Philippines, the ...

'' Oliv. * '' Physopsis'' 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 with ...

'' R.Br. * ''

Premna ''Premna'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae, first described for modern science in 1771. It is widespread through tropical and subtropical regions in Africa, southern Asia, northern Australia, and various islands in th ...

'' L. * ''

Pseudocarpidium ''Pseudocarpidium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae first described in 1906. It is native the West Indies (Bahamas, Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island ...

'' Millsp. * ''

Pseudocaryopteris ''Pseudocaryopteris'' is a genus of plants first described in 1999. It is native to China, Thailand, Myanmar, and the Himalayas (from Pakistan to Assam). ;Species Species below are those accepted by the World Checklist. Names used by Flora of ...

'' P.D.Cantino * ''

Rotheca ''Rotheca'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae.Raymond M. Harley, Sandy Atkins, Andrey L. Budantsev, Philip D. Cantino, Barry J. Conn, Renée J. Grayer, Madeline M. Harley, Rogier P.J. de Kok, Tatyana V. Krestovskaja, Ramón ...

'' Raf. * '' Schnabelia'' Hand.-Mazz. * '' Spartothamnella'' Briq. * '' Sphenodesme'' Jack * '' Symphorema'' Roxb. * '' Tectona'' L.f. * '' Teijsmanniodendron'' Koord. * '' Teucridium'' Hook.f. * ''

Tripora ''Tripora'' is genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae, first described as a genus in 1999. It includes only one known species, ''Tripora divaricata'', native to Japan, Korea, and China (Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan). I ...

'' P.D.Cantino * ''

Vitex ''Vitex'' is a genus of flowering plants in the sage family Lamiaceae.List of Genera in Lamiaceae. At: Peter F. Stevens. 2001 onwards. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website At: Missouri Botanical Garden Website. (see ''External links'' below). It has ...

'' 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 2 ...

: * '' Dimetra'' 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 the ...

: * '' Asepalum'' Marais * '' Cyclocheilon'' Oliv. * ''

Nesogenes ''Nesogenes'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. Its native range is Eastern Tropical Africa, Western Indian Ocean, Pacific. Species: *''Nesogenes africanus'' *''Nesogenes decumbens'' *''Nesogenes euphrasio ...

'' 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 ''Phryma'' is a genus of flowering plant in the family Phrymaceae, native to temperate Asia and eastern North America. Taxonomy The genus ''Phryma'' was erected by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 with the sole species ''Phryma leptostachya''. The Japanes ...

'' L. ;Moved to

Stilbaceae ''Stilbaceae'' is a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales. Genera include: *'' Anastrabe'' E. Mey. ex Benth. *'' Bowkeria'' Harv. *'' Campylostachys'' Kunth *'' Charadrophila'' Marloth *'' Euthystachys'' A. DC. *'' Halleria'' ...

: * ''

Campylostachys ''Campylostachys'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Stilbaceae described as a genus in 1832. There is only one known species, ''Campylostachys cernua'', endemic to the Cape Province region of South Africa. ;formerly included now in ...

'' Kunth * '' Euthystachys'' A.DC. * ''

Stilbe Stilbe (; Ancient Greek: Στίλβη ''Stílbē'') in Greek mythology may refer to the following personages: * Stilbe, mother of Callisto by Ceteus. *Stilbe, a nymph, daughter of the river god Peneus and the Naiad Creusa. She bore Apollo twin so ...

'' P.J.Bergius * '' Thesmophora'' Rourke

References

External links

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