Glandularia aristigera (S. Moore) Tronc.

Moss Vervain; South American Vervain; South American Mock Vervain

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Moss Vervain is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Verbena family (Verbenaceae). It is native to Bolivia, southern Brazil, northern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. In Alabama it is found primarily in the southern half of the state. Moss Vervain occurs on roadsides, in lawns, in cracks of sidewalks and pavement, and in disturbed areas. It is a perennial from a taproot. The stems are procumbent or decumbent with ascending floral branches. The stems sometimes root at the nodes, are 4-angled, and pubescent. Leaves are opposite, short petiolate or sessile, ovate-triangular in outline, and deeply 2-3- pinnately dissected. The segments of the leaf are linear with entire or few toothed revolute margins, and are pubescent on both surfaces. Flowers are produced in terminal spikes, either solitary or in corymbs. Each flower is subtended by green, ovate-lanceolate bracts that are shorter than the calyx. The bracts and calyx are glandular. The calyx is 5 toothed and pubescent. The corolla is salverform with 5 lobes and is white to purple or mauve in color. The fruit is a mericarp. Moss Vervain is a drought tolerant low growing perennial that is used in hanging baskets and as a ground cover. It can be grown from seed or divisions. It prefers a sunny location. Moss Vervain has a complicated taxonomic history and has been variously identified as Glandularia pulchella, Verbena pulchella, Glandularia tenuisecta, or Verbena tenuisecta.—A. Diamond.

Glandularia pulchella (Sweet) Troncoso [=Glandular tenera (Spreng.) Cabrera] has been missapplied to this taxon including Kral et al 2011 and previous editions of APA. The specimens identified below as Glandularia pulchella should be reexamined and annotated accordingly.

Not Native

O'Leary, N., and V. Thode. 2016. The genus Glandularia (Verbenaceae) in Brazil. Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 101: 699-749.