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Verbena bonariensis

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Lamiales Family: Verbenaceae Genus: Verbena

‘ōī, vervain

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Coarse, erect annual or perennial herbs 3–20 dm tall, sometimes somewhat woody toward base.

Stems: Stems erect, conspicuously quadrangular, scabrous to hispid.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite and decussate (pairs of leaves alternating 90 degrees between nodes). Blades lanceolate to oblong–lanceolate, 4.5–13 cm long, 0.6–2 cm wide, upper surface rugose. Apex acute. Base cordate. Upper surfaces hirtellous; lower surfaces spreading pubescent, both surfaces occasionally hirsute or scabrous. Margins somewhat revolute, unequally serrate, entire toward base. Sessile and somewhat clasping the stem. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers numerous in 4–10 terminal spikes 1–2(–5) cm long, these in a paniculate arrangement; Bracts lanceolate, as long as or slightly longer than calyx. Flowers bisexual (perfect), alternate, nearly zygomorphic. Calyx ca. 3 mm long, hispidulous, not glandular pubescent. Corolla blue, violet, lavender, or purple, the tube ca. 6–7 mm long, 5-lobed, imbricate. Stamens 4, in 2 pairs, inserted on and included in corolla tube; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, 4-lobed, 2-carpellate, 4-celled, placentation axile; ovules 1 per cell, attached laterally or near base, erect, anatropous; style 2-lobed, the lobes dissimilar, only 1 stigmatic.

Fruit: Schizocarps readily separating at maturity into 4 crustaceous nutlets; pericarp hard and dry. Seeds 1 per nutlet; oblong; triangular in cross section; endosperm essentially absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 28

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Unknown
Lana'i Potentially naturalizing
Maui Potentially naturalizing
Hawai'i Potentially naturalizing

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Ikaika Mendez
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • Lānaʻi in 1914
  • Native from Brazil and Bolivia to Argentina and Chile, now widespread in South America and many other parts of the world; in Hawaiʻi it has been collected on Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, but we have only seen recent collection from Makawao, Maui, made in 1987.

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 20 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1325 (Mo? [reported by Moldenke in 1962, but no spms. seen], L, EM); Lorence et al. 1995:55 (K); Frohlich & Lau 2008:9 (O); Wagner et al. 2012:73 (O plants controlled, not definitely nat.); Faccenda 2024b:132 (O nat. confirmed); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:218 (H); Munro s.n. BISH 72038 (L†, 1918); Note: remove Mo? [no evidence of nat.], Apr 2025

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Verbena bonariensis Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 352 Lanai BISH 1914-06-23
2 Verbena bonariensis Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 444 Lanai BISH 1915-05-26
3 Verbena bonariensis East Maui, Eddie Tam Center, Makawao Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2812 Maui BISH 1987-04-27
4 Verbena bonariensis Koele Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 326 Lanai BISH 1915-05-26
5 Verbena bonariensis Pali/Kam Hwy junction (Castle Junction) In hydromulch area. Preserved_Specimen Single plant ~ 2 meters tall, 2 x 3 meter patch with inflorescences. Rooting where stem hit the ground. May have flowered previously. Kawelo, K. Oahu BISH 2007-05-10
6 Verbena bonariensis Kola District: On the Makai side of Hwy 50 just West of the Tree Tunnel along the main road. Roadside weedy patch just past the guardrail. W/ Megathyrus maximus, swampy area off of the road. Preserved_Specimen About 4 ft tall. Stem square, leaves scratchy feel both sides, dark green above w/ impressed venation, below med green with raised venation, leaves decussate. Flowers purple. Tangalin, N. 5171 Kauai BISH 2021-04-19
7 Verbena bonariensis Kamoku Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. Lanai BISH 1918-06-29
8 Verbena bonariensis Keauhou 2 Ahupua'a, North Kona District. Growing with LEPTAM, SANPAN, SOPCHR, PENCLA, DESNUB. Preserved_Specimen Flowers purple VanDeMark, J. Hawaii BISH 2015-01-27
9 Verbena bonariensis Waimanalo, at end of Mahailua St Moist, shady roadside Preserved_Specimen Uncommon in this area, one plant seen, flowers very congested, light purple Faccenda, K. 2564 Oahu BISH 2022-08-02
10 Verbena bonariensis Near Stevenson Middle School, Punchbowl area, along fence near softball fields Lowland residential area. Preserved_Specimen Erect herbs to ~.5 m tall; corolla throat magenta, limb lavender to purple. OISC 20080611 Oahu BISH 2008-06-11
11 Verbena bonariensis East Maui, Makawao Intermediate School campus, mauka side 12 scattered plants, growing as weeds with a landscaped border Preserved_Specimen erect, with 1-3 stems, 1.5-2m, robust, leaves and stem stiff pubescent to hispid Hobdy, R.W. 2817 Maui BISH 1987-04-27
12 Verbena bonariensis East Maui, Makawao Intermediate School campus, mauka side 12 scattered plants, growing as weeds with a landscaped border Preserved_Specimen erect, with 1-3 stems, 1.5-2m, robust, leaves and stem stiff pubescent to hispid Hobdy, R.W. 2817 Maui BISH 1987-04-27
13 Verbena bonariensis Castle Junction Hydromulch site- very weedy hillside. Preserved_Specimen Herb- 5 ft. tall, 3 ft. wide. Many purple flowers packed in tight raceme. No fruits seen. OISC Oahu BISH 2007-05-24
14 Verbena bonariensis Lihue; Hwy 50 at Halfway Bridge newly grassed roadcut Preserved_Specimen erect herb of 3', semi-woody at base; leaves dark, semi-glossy green above, dull grey-green below with glossy midvein; calyx dark purplish-pink; corolla tube dark purplish-pink, lobes lavender Flynn, T.W. 3980 Kauai BISH 1990-06-09
15 Verbena bonariensis East Maui, Makawao Intermediate School campus, mauka side 12 scattered plants, growing as weeds with a landscaped border Preserved_Specimen erect, with 1-3 stems, 1.5-2m, robust, leaves and stem stiff pubescent to hispid Hobdy, R.W. 2817 Maui BISH 1987-04-27
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