Can you give any further background? Where does your information come from? Could it possibly be the cultivar 'Gravetye' which is meant?

Otherwise you could try contacting the holder of the National Collection of Verbena via the RHS.

Here is a link that might be useful: Michael Michieli

Thanks for the response.

My information comes from a book I am due to publish. The book is called 'Glasses in Bloom' and is actually about British bulb vases. One inventor, George Piercy Tye (1810-1879), was also a well-known cultivator of the verbena and his good friend, Charles Perry, named a new variety after him, c.1870 at a guess.

The 'George Tye' verbena (that is the correct name, I believe) is described as "pale violet purple with a large whitish eye".

Thanks for the link to the RHS - the book will actually be launched there, so I can always ask.

David

Sounds like an attractive book. Good luck with it.