Verbenaceae

The members of the Verbenaceaefamilyare annual and perennial herbs, shrubs andtrees. TheVerbenaceae family includes 100 genera and2,600 speciesoften characterized with quadrangular branches and/or their aromatic essential oils content.The leaves are opposite, simple, without a stipule. The flowersare almost always bisexual and zygomorphic. The Verbenaceae family consists rimarily of tropical plantswith ear-shaped or cluster-like inflorescences. The fruit is usually a drupe.The familyis considered as closely related with the Lamiaceaefamily, the difference between the two families has not been fully determined, and the characteristics common for the two families are easily noticeable. Present day phylogenetic studies reveal that several genera have been wrongly classified in the Verbenaceae family, so these genera were transferred back to the Lamiaceaefamily.