What is "verbenaceae"

Verbenaceous \Ver`be*na"ceous\, a. (Bot.) Of or pertaining to a natural order ( Verbenace[ae]) of gamopetalous plants of which Verbena is the type. The order includes also the black and white mangroves, and many plants noted for medicinal use or for beauty of bloom.

The Verbenaceae are a family, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs, and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.

Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that numerous genera traditionally classified in Verbenaceae belong instead in Lamiaceae. The new narrowly circumscribed Verbenaceae family includes some 35 genera and 1,200 species. The mangrove genus Avicennia, sometimes placed in the Verbenaceae or in its own family, Avicenniaceae, has been placed in the Acanthaceae.

Economically important Verbenaceae include:

• Lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla), grown for aroma or flavoring
• Verbenas or vervains (Verbena), some used in herbalism, others grown in gardens