Verbena L. (Verbenaceae) is represented by 44 species, mainly distributed in America, with two species distributed in temperate regions from both hemispheres: V. officinalis L. and V. supina L. South American species are morphologically different from North American species and are placed in two separate series: Verbena ser. Pachystachyae Schauer and series Verbena, respectively. In the present treatment, Verbena ser. Verbena taxa are described. This series includes 26 species, placed in three informal groups: Verbena, Hastatae, and Bracteosae. Detailed morphological descriptions are given for each taxon, as well as keys for their identification, illustrations, actualized synonymy with 56 new synonymized species (Appendix 3), and discussions of relationships between closely related taxa. Two new combinations are introduced: V. gracilescens (Cham.) Herter var. swiftiana (Moldenke) N. O'Leary and V. simplex Lehm. var. orcuttiana (L. M. Perry) N. O'Leary; nine species are lectotypified: V. bracteata Lag. & Rodr., V. bracteosa Michx. var. brevibracteata A. Gray, V. carolina L., V. domingensis Urb., V. officinalis var. gracilescens Cham., V. hastata L., V. hirsuta M. Martens & Galeotti, V. riparia Raf. ex Small & A. Heller, and V. urticifolia L. var. simplex Farw.; and six species are neotypified: V. ehrenbergiana Schauer, V. lasiostachys Link, V. roemeriana Scheele, V. simplex Lehm., V. spuria L., and V. xutha Lehm.