PENTANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 133 



Cultivated by the aborlg-ines of the Missouri from the 

 river Platte to the mountains, also by the natives who in- 

 habit on the banks of the Columbia river. I have no where 

 seen it spontaneous, but am informed of its existence as 

 such on the banks of the Columbia. The 'I'obacco most 

 esteemed by the Indians of the Missouri is that which 

 they obtain from the flowers, preserving the viscid calix 

 and rejecting the corolla. 



This genus now consisting of 13 species is for the most 

 part indigenous to South America; there is liowever 1 spe- 

 cies in China, the A', fniticosay and another around Port 

 Jackson in New Holland. 



It is doubtful whether all the benefits which have ac- 

 crued to Europe from the discovery of America, have not 

 been counterbaknced by the introduction of this univer- 

 sal luxury, produced at the expense of human liberty, and 

 of a soil which could otherwise be employed in augment- 

 ing the necessaries of life, independent of the diseases in- 

 separable from the use of so powerful a narcotic. 



203. VERBASCUM. L, (Mullein.) 



Calix 5- parted. Corolla rotate, Slobed, un- 

 equal. Stamina declined, bearded. Stigma sim- 

 ple. Capsule S-cclled, valves inflected, many- 

 seeded. 



Herbaceous or rarely sufFruticose, mostly biewnial; 

 leaves often decurrent on the stem, entire, dee|)ly tooth- 

 ed, or more or less pinnatifidly lobed; pubescence stellate 

 or simple and gland uliferous; flowers densely spiked or 

 racemosely paniculate. Anihers 1 celled. 



Species. 1. V- Thapsus. Introduced. Now natural- 

 ized. Pubescence ramified, and proliferously articulated. 

 The cap ules of this plant, about the period of maturity, 

 are said to possess a degree of irritability, suddenly clos- 

 ing with crepitation after being forcibly struck. Accord- 

 ing to the observations of Dr. Smith in Flor. Brit. 1. p. 

 250, the whole herb is mucilaginous, emollient, and some- 

 what narcotic. 2. Lychnitis. 3. Blattaria. Both these 

 species have been introduced. Now naturalized. 4. 

 Claytoni. 



This genus is chiefly indigenous to the South of Eu- 

 rope, there are a few species also in the Levant, and a 

 shrubby and spiny species in the isle of Crete. V. Clay- 

 toni .^t^^diVS to be a mere variety of V. Blattaria. 

 N 



