VERBENA

verbena, vervain

(noun) any of numerous tropical or subtropical American plants of the genus Verbena grown for their showy spikes of variously colored flowers

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

verbena (plural verbenas)

Verbena, a genus of herbaceous plants of which several species are extensively cultivated for the great beauty of their flowers; vervain.

Source: Wiktionary

Ver*be"na, n. Etym: [L. See Vervain.] (Bot.)

Definition: A genus of herbaceous plants of which several species are extensively cultivated for the great beauty of their flowers; vervain.

Note: Verbena, or vervain, was used by the Greeks, the Romans, and the Druids, in their sacred rites. Brewer. Essence of verbena, Oil of verbena, a perfume prepared from the lemon verbena; also, a similar perfume properly called grass oil. See Grass oil, under Grass.

– Lemon, or Sweet, verbena, a shrubby verbenaceous plant (Lippia citriodora), with narrow leaves which exhale a pleasant, lemonlike fragrance when crushed.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition