Biology:Verbena stricta
| Verbena stricta | |
|---|---|
_on_Mixed_Grass_Prairie_of_Lacreek_NWR_(13918328442).jpg)
| |
| Hoary vervain on a mixed-grass prairie of Lacreek NWR | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Lamiales |
| Family: | Verbenaceae |
| Genus: | Verbena |
| Species: | V. stricta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Verbena stricta Vent.
| |
Verbena stricta, also known as hoary verbena[1] or hoary vervain,[2] is a small purple wildflower native to a large region of the central United States.[3]
Region
Verbena stricta is native to Oklahoma, Kansas , Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana , Illinois, and Ohio.[4] Because of its versatility and hardiness, the species is even more widespread; the only states where it does not appear are Oregon, California , Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts , Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.[4] It is mostly found in meadows; fields;[3] dry, sandy soils;[2] and anthropogenic biomes, which include man-made or disturbed habitats.[4] Due to the habitats V. stricta lives in, it is an extremely drought-resistant and nonaggressive species.[4]
Plant structure
Growth
In ideal growing conditions it can grow up to 2–4 feet (0.6–1.2 m)[4] with a spike topping the plant.[5] This spike includes a densely packed cluster of half-inch (1 cm) flowers.
Flower
The flowers can bloom in a variety of colors, the majority of them purple or a lavender shade,[4] with rose pink or white rarely appearing.[5] The flower includes five petals fused at the base, forming a short tube.[5] The petal lobes are unequal in size and length, with the two later lobes being the largest and a notched lobe at the top of the bottom lobe.[5] As the plant ages, the spike atop the plant will elongate. The spike topping the plant will eventually seed and encapsulate tiny nutlets.[5] The fruit is usually 0.08–0.12 inches (2–3 mm) in length when ripe.[3]
Leaves
The leaves are, on average, 2–3 inches (5–8 cm) long with an opposite pattern along the stem of the plant.[5] The leaves have a heavy serrated edge with an oval to egg shape and a pointed tip. All leaves are covered in dense hair and are completely stalkless.[5] The stems of this plant are square and are also covered in short, dense hair. The base of the stem can include a reddish color.
Season
Verbena stricta blooms in the early summer[2] and stays flowering through September until its seeds ripen.[4]
Benefits
Verbena stricta is an extremely important component of many butterfly gardens, as the leaves are the ideal food for the larval form of the common buckeye butterfly.[4] The seeds are also an important dietary portion of many small birds and mammals.[4]
References
- ↑ "Verbena stricta". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=VEST.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "DNR - Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)" (in en). http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10370_12146_12213-36333--,00.html.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Verbena stricta (hoary vervain)", Go Botany (New England Wildflower Society), https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/Verbena/stricta/, retrieved 2017-09-17
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)". http://www.prairienursery.com/store/native-plants/hoary-vervain-verbena-stricta.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Chayka, Katy; Dziuk, Peter (2016), Verbena stricta (Hoary Vervain), https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/hoary-vervain, retrieved 2017-09-17
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q15439351 entry
 |  |
