May, 1921] The Figworts of Ohio 221 



1. Verbascum (Tourn.) L. Mullen. 



Mostly biennial, erect herbs, with alternate leaves, and 

 prominent winter rosettes. Flowers pentamerous, in terminal 

 spikes, racemes, or panicles. Corolla rotate; the fifth stamen 

 anther-bearing; some or all of the stamen filaments pilose; 

 ovules and seeds numerous. 



1. Plants glabrous or sparingly glandular-pubescent; flowers racemose. 



V. hlattaria. 

 1. Plants densely woolly; flowers in dense spikes or spike-like racemes. 



V. t haps us. 



1. Verbascum blattaria L. Moth Mullen. 



vStem slender, erect, usually simple, glabrous or sparingly glandular- 

 pubescent, 2-6 ft. high. Leaves oblong to ovate, or lanceolate, dentate 

 or pinnatifid, the upper ones more or less clasping, J^-2i^ in. long, the 

 basal ones sessile or short-petioled, up to 12 in. or more in length, 

 forming rosettes, and in late autumn strongly geo tropic, pressed close 

 to earth, and with much anthocyan present. Corolla yellow or white, 

 about 1 in. broad; filaments pilose, magenta. General and abundant 

 in lawns, fields, and waste places. June-Nov. Naturalized from 

 Europe. Flowers and leaves used as medicine. 



2. Verbascum thapsus L. Great Mullen. 



A stout, erect, usually simple biennial, 2-7 ft. high, densely woolly 

 all over, and with large winter rosettes. Stem leaves thick, 4-12 in. long, 

 prominently decurrent, the rosette deaves up to 18 in. long. Flowers 

 yellow, i/2~l in. broad, sessile or nearly so, in dense spikes. Fields, 

 waste places, and pastures, especially on hillsides. June-September. 

 General and abundant. Naturalized from Europe. 



2. Penstemon Mitch. Beard-tongue. 



Erect, perennial herbs with opposite leaves and large, 

 usually showy flowers in terminal thyrses, panicles, or racemes. 

 Corolla tubular, inflated, 2-lipped, the upper lip not arched. 

 Stamens 5, included, 4 of them didynamous, anther-bearing, 

 the fifth sterile, frequently bearded, nearly as long as or longer 

 than the fertile ones. Seeds numerous. 



1. Plants more or less glandular or pubescent; leaves dentate or serrate 2. 



1. Plants glabrous throughout and glaucous; leaves entire P. grandiflorus. 



2. Corolla-tube not prominently enlarged; J^-IM ii^- long; leaves serrate or 



denticulate; thyrsus elongated and open, usually branched, panicle-like. . .3. 



2. Corolla-tube much enlarged above, 2 in. long; thyrsus short; leaves dentate. 



P. cobaea. 



3. Only inflorescence or calyx pubescent, or if pubescent to the base, the upper 



leaves ovate-lanceolate and usually tapering from near the broad base; 

 throat of corolla slightly bearded 4. 



3. Stems pubescent or puberulent nearly to the base; upper leaves usually 



narrowly-lanceolate; corolla bearded in the throat P. hirsuius. 



4. Corolla-tube not gibbous above the point of enlargement; corolla purplish; 



stems usually puberulent; anther-sacs usually glabrous P. penstemon 



4. Corolla- tube gibbous above the point of enlargement; corolla white or 

 purplish; stems usually glabrous; anther-sacs barbate usually... P. digitalis. 



