VEBBO
Growth form
Broadleaf
Life cycle
Annual
Habitat
Terrestrial
synonym | Verbena bonariensis f. albiflora Moldenke |
synonym | Verbena bonariensis f. robustior Chodat |
synonym | Verbena bonariensis var. bonariensis |
synonym | Verbena bonariensis var. bonariensis |
synonym | Verbena bonariensis var. conglomerata Briq. |
synonym | Verbena bonariensis var. hispida Moldenke, nom. illeg. |
synonym | Verbena bonariensis var. hispida Rendle |
synonym | Verbena bonariensis var. longibracteata Kuntze |
synonym | Verbena elongata Salisb. [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Verbena elongata Salisb., nom. superfl. |
synonym | Verbena inamoena Briq. |
synonym | Verbena intercedens Briq. |
synonym | Verbena trichotoma Moench [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Verbena trichotoma Moench [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Verbena trichotoma Moench, nom. illeg. |
Afrikaans |
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Créole Maurice |
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Créole Réunion |
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English |
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French |
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Malagasy |
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Verbena bonariensis is an annual to perennial herb that grows up to 1.5 m. The entire plant is roughly hairy. The stems are square in cross-section, and sometimes develop a slightly woody base. The leaves are opposite, sessile and simple; the blade is narrowly ovate, oblong or linear with pointed tip, the base slightly clasping the branches ; margins are serrated; the upper side is coarsely hairy while the underside is densely softly hairy. The numerous small, purple to lavender-pink, tubular flowers are arranged into branched, elongated clusters at the tip of the stems. The small fruit, when mature, splits into four brown elongated nutlets.
Cotyledons are borne on a petiole, 5 mm long. The lamina is ovate, 8 mm long and 6.5 mm wide, with a tapered tip and an attenuate base; light green in colour.
First leaves are simple, opposite, subsessile, lamina is ovate elliptical, 15-18 mm long and 10-12 mm wide, distinctly veined, margin is first entire, then after first leaves is serrated.
Erect, branched herb, growing up to 1.5 m tall, sometimes slightly woody at the base. Flowering in October to June.
Taproot.
Stem is quadrangular, solid, stiff, erect, slightly furrowed on two opposite, scabrid on the angles. It quickly branches.
Leaves are simple, opposite, decussate.The lamina is sessile, ovate oblong to linear, 6-22 cm long and 1-7 cm wide. The base is narrow at first, and then widens up, cordate or sub-auriculate to sub-amplexicaule, the apex is acute. The margin is regularly serrated except at the base. The upper surface is smooth, the lower surface hispid, more or less tomentose.
Dense spikes, 0.5-5 cm long, arranged in corymb-like inflorescences, more or less loose. The stalks of these clusters and the small bracts below each flower are covered with short glandular hairs as well as longer stiff hairs.
The flower is subtended by a foliaceous bract, shorter than the calyx, pubescent, oblong to narrow oval, acuminate, green or purple, with a prominent midrib. The calyx is 2.5-3 mm long, fused into a quadrangular tube. It is densely pubescent with glandular hairs; the top is flat with four long teeth. The corolla lobes are fused into a cylindrical tube, less than twice the length of the calyx (3-4.5 mm), pubescent on the outside in the top part, and ending in 5 rounded spreading lobes (2.5-5 mm across). Corolla is bluish, purple or lavender pink.
Fruits are dry, surrounded by the calyx, separating into four nutlets oblong to linear, trigonal, reddish brown, shiny, rough, reticulate.
Attributions | dummy |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Insertion of leaf | Base of lamina | Margin of lamina | Spike | Tube of corolla | Bracts | ||
V. officinalis | stalked | wedged | pinnatifid | In panicule |
elongated L > 5 cm |
L - 2 x calyx | L < calyx |
V. brasiliensis | Finely serrated |
short and compact L < 5 cm |
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V. bonariensis | sessile |
Cordate to auriculate |
in corymbose | L 1 to 1,5 x calyx | |||
V. rigida | L 2 to 3 x calyx | L 1,5 to 2 x calyx |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Attributions | dummy |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Local harmfulness
Comoros: Absent.
Madagascar: The frequency of Verbena bonariensis in annual crops is low but its presence along the canals and cultivation plots can be a significant inconvenience (refuge of pests and diseases). It can be abundant in sugar cane fields and banana cultivations, located near the shallows (minor crops in the highlands).
Mauritius: This species is not present in crops.
New Caledonia: Verbena bonariensis is not a very harmful weed in pastures, but in some situations it may form with other minor weeds a community of species with little or no palatability whose abundance contributes to the degradation of pastures and decreases the production of forage species.
Reunion: mostly ruderal species in fallow land and roadsides, but also rare weed in pastures and of vegetable crops of altitude.
Seychelles: Absent.
South Africa: Distributed throughout South Africa, except in the Northern Cape province. It can be problematic in conservation tillage agriculture. It is poisonous to livestock and invades roadsides, disturbed places, moist areas and grasslands. It occurs in Limpopo, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, North West, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Verbena%2520bonariensis
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Lamiales |
Family | Verbenaceae |
Genus | Verbena |
Species | Verbena bonariensis L. |