Greek phyle — clan or tribe, a reference to the numerous florets in a dense head.

Perennial herbs with trailing or upright stems, often rooting at the nodes. Leaves mostly fleshy, margins toothed. Flower clusters generally in dense, rounded to cylindrical heads. Flowers irregular, cylindrical, 4-lobed and 2-lipped. Stamens 4, enclosed or protruding slightly. Ovary with 2 chambers, 1 ovule in each chamber. Fruit small, dry, flattened, splitting into 2 parts. [Lippia L.]

Grown as neat groundcover plants, sometimes as a lawn substitute.

Seed or division.

Small mat-forming plants with flowers in dense white or lilac heads.

10-15 tropical and subtropical species.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Verbenaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.