Scientific Family
Verbenaceae
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Biennial or perennial
Height
To 3 feet
Riparian
Yes
Subshrub erect, stems 1 to 3 from base; leaves oval to elongate-oval, stemmed, pointed or blunt at tips, toothed, very harshly rough and commonly covered with short stiff lightly pressed hairs above, less rough and paler beneath, flower stalks branched.
Annual, biennial or perennial to 3 feet tall; stems 1 to 3, mostly erect, hairy; leaves to 4 inches long, lance-like to oval, toothed, hairy to rough from stiff hairs; fruits not overlapping, especially below, generally with <8 fruits per 1/2 inch.
Habitat
Wet places, marshes.
Plant Community
Riparian
Low elevation
1900
High elevation
4900
Flower Characteristics
Flower tube only slightly longer than sepals; sepals 5-ribbed, 5-toothed, hairs generally pressed close; flowers 4 to 5 lobed, generally regular, sometimes bilateral and 2-lipped; stamens 4, 2 lobed styles.
Flower color
Pink, blue, white
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
September
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stems 4-sided; leaves to 4 inches long, lance-like, stemmed, pointed or blunt at tip, margins toothed, very rough upper surface due to minute points or projections, paler beneath, slightly hairy along the veins; hairs generally short.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Nutlets 4, generally oblong, not overlapping, marked with longitudinal lines, net-veined towards tips.
Fruit type
Nutlet