Species: Verbena hastata var. hastata L.

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Verbena hastata var. hastata L.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Verbenaceae

Genus:

Verbena

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

swamp vervain
blue vervain

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia, southeastern Saskatchewan – Manitoba – southern Ontario – Quebec – New Brunswick – Nova Scotia

Saskatchewan:

southeastern Saskatchewan; Souris River Valley

Ecoregion:

Moist Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

moist semi-wooded or shrubby streamlet ravines

Associated species:

bristly buttercup, brook cinquefoil, Macoun buttercup, prairie wedgescale, rough water horehound

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G5 S1S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Swamp vervain is threatened because of rarity in Saskatchewan. This species is restricted southwestern Saskatchewan and populations are small. Possible threats are inferred by occurrences in heavy populated areas, fragile habitats, or occurrences in areas of possible planned developments.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

50 – 230 cm

Stems:

perennial, erect, simple or sparingly branched above, usually rough-hairy

Leaves:

opposite, stalked, 4 – 18 cm long, lance-shaped, base may be 3-lobed, tip long tapered, hairless to slightly hairy, margin coarsely saw-toothed to incised

Inflorescence:

spikes numerous in branched clusters, stiff, thick, compact; bracts small, rarely surpassing sepals, lance-shaped

Flowers:

sepals 2 – 3 mm long, more or less coming together at the tip; petals at least 3 mm broad, blue-violet, hairy; stamens 5, attached to the petals; carpels 2, 4-lobed, styles 1

Fruits:

nutlets 4, overlapping, smooth or faintly grooved, reddish-brown

VERBENA KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Leaves 3-lobed or pinnately lobed with saw-toothed margins; stems low, usually creeping or lying on the ground; bractlets subtending flowers as long as sepals	V. bracteata
1 Leaves toothed or shallowly incised; stems erect; bractlets subtending flowers shorter than sepals	2

2 Spikes numerous in branched clusters; leaves distinctly stalked; flowers and fruits overlapping in dense spikes; flowers blue; leaf stalks not winged	V. hastata var. hastata
2 Spikes solitary to few; leaves subsessile; flowers and fruits remote in loose spikes; flowers white; leaf stalks winged	V. urticifolia var. urticifolia