VERBENACEAE



            1. SYSTEMATIC POSITION:
            Bentham & Hooker
            Division: Phanerogames (Seed Plants)
                 Class: Dicotyledones
                       Sub-class: Gamopetalae
                              Series: Bicarpellatae
                                    Order: Lamiales
                                           Family: Verbenaceae
           
            2. MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERS:
            Habit – Herbs, shrubs or trees.
            Leaves – Opposite or whorled, simple or compound, exstipulate.
            Inflorescence – Cymes or spike often compound or paniculate.
            Flower – Bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous.
            Calyx – Sepals 5, united, campanulate or tubular, persistent.
            Corolla – Petals 5, united, bilabiate, tubular, imbricate.
            Androecium – Stamens 4, epipetalous, didynomous or 2, staminoides often present, anther dithecous, dorsifixed.
            Gynoecium – Carpel 2, syncarpous, ovary 4-lobed or entire, superior, 2-8 locular, usually 4-locular style entire or 2-lobed.
            Fruit – A berry or drupe.
               4. COMPARATIVE SYSTEMATIC POSITION AND AFFINITIES:
            Bentham & Hooker placed this family under the order Lamiales. Engler & Prantl have placed this family in the order Tubiflorae. Originally Hutchinson included the Verbenaceae in the order Lamiales, but later he transferred it in Verbenales. Cronquist and Takhthajan included the family Verbenaceae in Lamiales.
            The family Verbenaceae is generally considered to be most nearly allied to lamiaceae, and some extent to Boraginaceae and Scorphulariaceae, but Hutchinson considered it unrelated to Lamiaceae and to have derived from the Rubiaceous family.
            The Verbenaceae is related to Lamiaceae in presence of the persistent calyx, bilabiate corolla and inferior micropyle of the ovule. It is allied to Borginaceae by the nature of inflorescence, calyx and fruit. It bears a relationship with Acantaceae, but differs in having 4-celled ovary with one ovule in each cell or 2-celled ovary with two ovules in each cell.
           
            5. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE:
            The members of family Verbenaceae possess ornamental, timber, medicinal and other uses.
            1. The ornamental plants include – Duranta repens, Callicarpa longifolia, Lantana camera, Holmskoldia sanguine, Clerodendron spp., Vitex, Verbena, etc.
            2. Plants with medicinal values are – Clerodendron coolibrokianum, vitex negundo, etc.
            3. The important timber yielding plants are – Gmelina arborea and Tectona grandis.
            4. The bark of Avicennia officinalis is employed for tanning.

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