Verbenaceae

Taxobox
name = Verbena family

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image_caption = Flowers , fruit and (right) leaves of a "Lantana" cultivar
image_width = 240px
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
subclassis = Asteridae
unranked_ordo = Euasterids I
ordo = Lamiales
familia = Verbenaceae
familia_authority = Jaume Saint-Hilaire
subdivision_ranks = Genera
subdivision = About 35-90 depending on circumscription (see text)

The verbena family or vervain vamily, Verbenaceae, is a family of mainly tropical plants. They are trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Stevens (2001-)] __TOC__Depending on circumscription, it includes some 35 to 90Fact|date=August 2008 genera up to nearly 2,000 species.Fact|date=August 2008. Many genera have been moved from the Verbenaceae to the Lamiaceae (Labiatae or mint family) in the late 20th century and early 21st century. "Avicennia", sometimes placed in Verbenaceae or in its own family, AvicenniaceaeFact|date=August 2008, has rather confidently been placed in Acanthaceae. On the other hand, core Verbenaceae have proven to be more closely related to other members of the Lamiales in the wide sense than to Lamiaceae, indicating that many of the earlier moves were prematureFact|date=August 2008.

Economically important Verbenaceae include:
* Beautyberries ("Callicarpa"), cultivated in gardens
* Lemon Verbena ("Aloysia triphylla"), grown for aroma or flavoring
* Teak trees ("Tectona"), grown for lumber
* Verbenas or vervains ("Verbena"), some used in herbalism, others grown in gardens

elected genera

* "Aloysia" – beebrushes
* "Amasonia"
* "Callicarpa" – beautyberries
* "Caryopteris" – bluebeards
* "Citharexylum" – fiddlewoods
* "Clerodendrum" – glorybowers, bagflowers, "bleeding-hearts"
* "Coleonema"
* "Congea"
* "Cornutia"
* "Diostea"
* "Duranta"
* "Garrettia"
* "Gmelina"
* "Holmskioldia"
* "Hymenopyramis"
* "Junellia"
* "Lantana" – shrub verbenas, lantanas
* "Nashia"
* "Oxera"
* "Petrea" – sandpaper vines
* "Phyla" – fogfruits and lippias (includes "Lippia")
* "Premna"
* "Rhaphithamnus"
* "Schnabelia"
* "Sphenodesme"
* "Stachytarpheta"
* "Symphorema"
* "Tectona" – teak trees
* "Tsoongia"
* "Verbena" – verbenas/vervains