V 



R 



V 



R 



I 



The two American forts are at prefent rare in the Eng- 



lilh gardens, but, as they hardy enough to thrive in 

 the open air, in a few years they may become plenty ^ 

 thefe may be propagated by offsets or feeds, in the 

 fame manner as the former. 

 VERBASCUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 146. tab. 61. 

 Lin. Gen. Plant. 217. Mullein ^ in French, Bouillon 



Mane. 



The Characters are, 

 The flower has a [mall permanent empalement of one 

 leaf ait into five parts \ it hath one ^j;heel-Jhaped petaU 

 with a very floort cylindrical tuhe^ the brim fpreading^ 

 and cut into five oval obtufie fegmentSy and five awl-Jhaped 

 ftamina which are fioorter than the petals terminated by 

 roiindijhy comprejfed^ ereB fummits \ with a roundijh ger- 

 men fupporting a Jlender ftyle inclining to the ftamina., 

 crowned by a thick obtufe ftigma. The germen afterward 

 becomes a roundijh capfule with two cells opening at the top., 

 having a half oval receptacle fixed to the partition^ and 

 filled with angular feeds. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the firfl feftion of 

 Linnseus's fifth clafs, which includes thofe plants 

 whofe flowers have five ftamina and one ftyle. 

 The Species are, 



I, Verbascum ifThapfus) foliis decurrentibus utrinque 

 tomentofis. Vir. Cliff. 13. Mullein with running leaves 

 which are woolly on both fides. Verbafcum mas latifo- 

 liumluteum. C. B. P. 239. Great white Mullein^ Hig 

 Taper., or Cow^s Lungwort, 



2t. Verbascum {Lychnith) foliis cuneiformi-oblongis. 

 Hort. Upfal. 45. Mullein with oblong wedge-fhaped 

 leaves. Verbafcum pulverulentum, flore luteo par- 

 vo. J. B. Hoa^ Mullein with fmall yellow flowers. 



3. Verbascum (^Alburn) foliis cordato-oblongis, fubtus 



incanis, fpicis racemofis. Mullein with oblong heart- 

 fhaped leaves which are hoary on their under ftde^ and 

 branching fpikes ef flowers. Verbafcum femina, flore 

 albo. C. B. P. 2.39. Female Mullein with a white 



flower. 



4. Verbascum (Luteum) foliis radicalibus ovatis peti- 



olatis, caulinis oblongis feflilibus fubtus tomentofis 

 ferratis. Mullein^ with oval lower leaves growing onfoot- 

 ftalkSy but thofe on the ftdks oblong., flawed^ woolly on 

 their under fide^ and fitting clofe. Verbafcum blattarise 

 foliis nigrum, ampliaribus foliis luteis, apicibus pur- 

 purafcentibus. Flor. LeycJ. Boerh. Ind. alt. i. 228. 

 Mullein with black Mullein leaves., large yellow petals to 

 the flower., and purple fummits. 



5. Verbascum {Grandifloruni) foliis ovato-acutis utrinque 

 - tomentofis, floribus in fpica denfiffima feffilibus. Hal- 



ler. Helvet. 507. Mullein with oval acute-pointed 

 leaves which are woolly on both fides., and flowers difpofed 

 in thick fpikes fitting clofe to the ftalk. Verbaicum 



libus, pedunculis folitaris. Mullein with the h^^:r 

 leaves jagged like wings., thofe on the ftalks acute-pointed^ 

 indented., half emhracing the fialks^ andfngk foot-falks 

 to the flowers. Blattaria lutca, folio longo, laciiiiato. 

 C. B. P. 240. I^ellow Moth Mullein with a lon^^ jcv^Q--:d 

 leaf 

 10. Verbascum {Ferrugineum) foliis Gvato-oblonois ob- 

 folete crenatis, utrinque virenribus petiolatis, caule 

 ramofo. Mullein with oblong oval leaves having ohVicte 



crenatures^ and both fides green., with a branching ftalk. 

 Blattaria flore ferruc^ineo. H. R. Par. Moth Mullein 



woolU 



Mullein with a large yellow flower. 

 6. Verbascum [Nigrum) foliis ferratis fuperne rugofis, 

 inferne fubhirfutis, petiolis ramofis, ftaminum barba 

 purpurafcente. Haller. Helvet. 511. Mullein with 

 Jawed leaves whofe upper fides are rough, thofe on the un- 

 der fide hairy, branching foot-ftalks, and purplifh beards 

 to the ftamina, Verbafcum nigrum, flore ex luteo- 

 purpurafcente. C. B. P. 240. Black Mullein with a 

 yellowifh purple flower^ commonly called Sage-leaved black 



Mullein. 

 y, Verbascum (Sinuatum) foliis radicalibus pinnatifido- 

 repandis tomentofis, caulinis amplexicaulibus nudiuf- 

 culis, rameis primis oppofitis. Lin. Sp. 254. Mullein 

 whofe under leaves are wing-pointed, woolly, and turn 

 3acky the upper naked, embracing the ftalks, and the fir ft 

 hanches are oppofite. Verbafcum nigrum, folio papa- 

 veris corniculati. C. B. P. 240. Black Mullein with a 

 horned Poppy leaf 

 S.Verbascum (Glabrum) foliis amplexicaulibus oblongis 

 glabris pedunculis folitariis. Hort. Upfal. 46. Mullein 

 with oblong fmooth leaves embracing the ftalks, andfingle 



with an iron- coloured flower. 



11. Verbascum {Annuum) foliis radicalibus oblono-ls 

 integerrimis, utrinque viridibus, caulinis acuris fefli- 

 libus, pedunculis aggregatis. Mullein with oblong., en- 

 tire, lower leaves which are green on both fides., thofe en 

 the ftalks acute-pointed, fitting clofe, and chtftcred foot- 



ftalks. Blattaria annua, flore majore luteo, capfula 

 item majore. Mor. Hift. 2. p. 49 S. Annual Moth 

 Mullein with a larger yellow flower, and a larger capfule. 



12. Verbascum (Phccnicium) foliis ovatis crenatis radi- 

 calibus, caule fubnudo racemofo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 178. 

 Mullein with naked, oval, crenated, lower leaves, and an 

 almoft naked branching ftalk. Blattaria purpurea, C. 

 B. P. 241. Purple Moth Mullein. 



13. Verbascum {Myconi) foliis lanatis radicalibus, fca- 

 po nudo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 179. Mullein zvith 

 lozver leaves, and a naked ftalk, Verbafcum humile 

 Alpinum villofum borraginis flore & folio. Tourn. 

 Inft. 147. Lotv, hairy, Alpine Mullein, with the leaf 

 and flower of Borage, commonly called Borage-leaved Au- 

 ricula. 



The firft is the common Mullein or Plig Taper which 

 is ufed in medicine ; this grows naturally by the fide 

 of highways and on banks in moft parts of England ; 

 it is a biennial plant, whicli periflies foon after it has 

 perfefted feeds. The lower leaves, which fpread on 

 the ground, are nine or izw inches long, and fix broad \ 

 they are very woolly, and of a yeHov/ifh white colour, 

 having fcarce any foot-ftalks. The ftalk rifes four or 

 five feet high, and the lower part Is garni/hed with 

 leaves Ihaped like thofe below, but fmaller, whofe 

 bafe half embrace the ftalk, and have wings running 

 along the ftalk from one ifo the other. The upper 

 part of the' ftalk is clofely earniflied with vellow 



. flowers, fitting very clofe, formed into a long thick 

 fpike ; thefe are compofcd of five obtufe roundifli 

 petals, having five ftamina in the center ; they have 

 an agreeable odour. It flowers in July, and the feeds 

 ripen in autumn. 



The fecond fort grows naturally in fome parts of Eng- 

 land ; I have obferved it in plenty in lome parts of 

 Nottinghamfliire: this is a biennial plant. Thelov/er 

 fsemina, flore luteo magno. C. B. P. 239. Female leaves are oblong, indented on their edges, and end 



in acute points. The ftalk rifes three or four feet high, 

 fending out from every joint ftiort fpikes of fmall yel- 

 low flowers, which are paler than thofe of the firft^ 

 and have a pleafanter odour. At the bafe of each 

 fpike is fituated a fmall, oblong, acute-pointed leaf; 

 thefe are covered with a white powder which walhes 

 ofi\ When the flowers decay, they are fucceeded by 

 oval capfules, filled with fmall feeds, which ripen ia 

 autumn. 



The third fort grows naturally in Italy and Spain. 

 The lower leaves of this are more than a foot long, 

 and five or fix inches broad, rough on their upper 

 fide, and a little hoary; their ui.dcr fide is pale and 

 very hoary. The ftalk rifes fix or feven feet high, 

 fending out fome fide branches which are erect ; the 

 flowers are difpofed in long fpikes which arc branched j 

 they are white, and fometimes yelJow, Jiaving. the 

 moft agreeable fccnt of all the fp^•cie.". 1 hi': flowers 

 about the fame time w^ith the former, aad the feeds 



ripen in autumn. 

 „.,^..,.^ .... ^.^ww, ^,.^j.,.^.. . The fourth fort has oval leaves a foot long, and fix 

 Blattaria alba. C. B. P. 241. | inches broad in the middle, ftanding upon thick toot- 



foot-ftalks to the flowers. 

 White Moth Mullein. 

 5. Verbascum {Blattaria^ foUis radicalibus pinnato- 



finuatis, caulinis dentatis acuminatis femi-amplexicau- 



ftalks ; they are of a foft texture, of a pale green 

 on their upper fide, but hoary on their under, having 



many prominent nerves. The ftalk rifes three or four 



