Verbena rigida Sprengel (1827: 230)

Cardoso, Pedro Henrique, Valério, Vanessa Imaculada Dos Reis, Neto, Luiz Menini & Salimena, Fátima Regina Gonçalves, 2021, Verbenaceae in Espírito Santo, Brazil: richness, patterns of geographic distribution and conservation, Phytotaxa 484 (1), pp. 1-43 : 34-35

11.2. Verbena rigida Sprengel (1827: 230) . (Figs. 3B, 7I)

Herbs 20–35 cm high, branches tetragonal, hispid, glandular pedicellate trichomes present. Leaves opposite, blade 2.3–4.1 × 0.7–1.2 cm, chartaceous, elliptical to oblong-elliptical, apex acute, base subcordate, margin incised-serrate, ciliate, adaxial surface hispid, glandular pedicellate trichomes present, abaxial surface hispid, trichomes concentrated along the veins. Inflorescences 1–3 cm long, peduncle of the main spikes 0.5–1 cm long, peduncle of the lateral spikes 1–2 cm long, hirsute, glandular pedicellate trichomes; bracts 4.5–5.3 mm long, narrow-ovate, abaxial surface hispid, glandular pedicellate trichomes present, margin ciliate; calyx 3–3.5 mm long, hispid, glandular pedicellate trichomes present; corolla 1–1.2 cm long, purple. Fruit ca. 2.5 mm long, surrounded by the calyx persistent.

Distribution and habitat:— Verbena rigida is native from South America, widely distributed throughout Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and currently naturalized in Central America, North America, Europa, Asia, Africa, and Australia (O’Leary et al. 2007). It was recorded in Brazil throughout the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul (O’Leary 2020). The species was recently registered for the state of Espírito Santo by Cardoso et al. (2019e), being found in the campos de altitude of the Parque Nacional do Caparaó, and disturbed areas.

Phenology:— Collected with flowers and fruits in January and October.

Preliminary conservation assessment: —This is a common species, found in all continents (O’Leary et al. 2007), and occurs inside PAs. Considered “Least Concern” (LC) ( IUCN 2019).

Selected material:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Dores do Rio Preto, Parque Nacional do Caparaó , 22 October 2012, fl. and fr., T . B . Flores et al. 1415 ( MBML, RB, UEC); Venda Nova do Imigrante , 27 January 1997, fl. and fr., M . M . Arbo et al. 7734 ( NY) .

Notes:— Verbena rigida is characterized by the leaves with margin incised-serrate, glandular pedicellate trichomes in the adaxial surface, bracts longer than the calyx, and tubular corolla, 1–1.2 cm long. The majority of species of the genus Verbena present infundibuliform corolla shorter than 1 cm, slightly exceeding the calyx (O’Leary et al. 2007). The flowers of V. rigida are more similar to those of Glandularia which have hypocrateriform corollas large than 1 cm long and is often confused with G. phlogiflora (Chamisso) Schnack & Covas (1944: 475) . However, the chromosome number of the species (2n = 42) x = 7 keeps it circumscribed within the genus Verbena (O’Leary et al. 2007) .

Illustrations in Cardoso et al. (2018a).