PENTANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Verbascum. 511 



B from its characters rather seems to be produced by tlie pollen of 

 this plant falling upon V. jiiiirriun, of which latter therefore it 

 ought, perhaps, to be deemed a variety. But the habit most 

 agrees with the pulvenilcntum, though the stem and branches are 

 more angular, and tinged with puri)le. Leaves less woolly, and 

 more strongly crenate. Hairs of the stamens violet-coloured. 

 Radical leaves considerably stalked. Root generally, if not al- 

 ways, perennial. 



If the stem of F. pulvenilentum be smartly struck, 3 or 4 times, 

 with a stick, all the flowers then open will, in a few minutes, 

 throw off their corolla, the calyx closing round the gernien, so 

 that after 8 or 10 minutes none will remain on the ])lant. This 

 curious instance of irritability was first pointed out to me by 

 Don Joseph Correa de Serra, late Portuguese ambassador to the 

 United States, whose scientific knowledge, and philosophical 

 views of every subject, have long procured him universal resi)ect, 

 and at length the notice and confidence of his sovereign. 



4. V. nigrum. Dark, or Black, Mullein. 



Leaves oblong-heart-shapecl, stalked, waved and crenate, 



slightly downy. Cluster mostly solitary. 

 V. nigrum. Linn. Sp. PL 253. mild. t,. 1 . 1004. FL Br. 25 1. 



Eticrl Dot.v.\.t.59. Hook. Land. fasc.2.t.\03. Scot.7S. FL 

 Dan. t loss. Ger. Eni.77b.f. Trag. HisL 2\S.f. Renealm. 

 Spec. 107. t. 106. 



V. n. 584. Hall. Hist. v. 1 . 257. 



V. tertium. Matlh. Valgr. v. 2. ASO.f. Cam er. Epit. 8S0. f. ^ 



V. nigrum, flore parvo, apicibus purpureis. Bauh. Hist. v. 3. 8d/.J. 

 Rail Sijn. 288. 



On banks, and by way sides, in shady lanes, on a gravelly or chalky 

 soil. 



Perennial. July, August. 



Stem simple, erect, 2 or 3 feet high, leafy, angular, brown or pur- 

 plish, terminating in rarely more than one long, upright, cylin- 

 drical, spiked cluster, of bright yellow, aggregate/o^re; 5, smaller 

 than the last ; the filaments densely clothed with violet-coloured 

 hairs. Leaves heart shaped, veiny, waved and crenate, of a fine 

 deep green, somewhat downy, but not hoary, all stalked, except 

 some of the small ui)])er ones j the radical ones a foot long, and 

 their stalks nearlv as much. „ , . c i f i 



In Switzerland iho Jlowers are occasionally white. Seeds of such 

 a variety, sent to England, produced plants with a large copper- 

 coloured corolla, in the garden of the late Lady Amelia Hume. 



5. V. virgatwn. Large-flowered Primrose-leaved 

 Mullein. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate, toothed, sebbile; radical ones downy, 



