308 PENTANDRIA—MONOGYNIA. Vurbasciim. 



sevtetl into its base. Anth, compressed, erect, more or 

 less kidney-shaped, bursting along tlie upper edge, im- 

 perfectly 2-cclled. Gormen superior, roundish. Style 

 thread-shaped, slightly swelling upwards, declining, rather 

 longer than the stamens. Stigma obtuse. Caps, ovate, 

 slightly compressed, or (In Btattaria of Tournefort) nearly 

 globular, of 2 cells and 2 valves, opening at the upper 

 part, the valves sometimes splitting half way down ; par- 

 tition double, from the infiexed parallel margins of the 

 valves, but often incomplete. Rcccpt. ovate or globular, 

 central, connected at each side, in an early state, with 

 the valves. Seeds numerous, minute, angular, dotted, 

 covering the receptacle. 



Herbaceous, usually biennial, more or less woolly, or mealy, 

 mucilaginous, narcotic. Stem mostly solitary. Leaves 

 simple; either undivided, or pinnatifid ; all radical the 

 first year ; subsequently all cauline, alternate, sometimes 

 decurrent, simply or doubly crenate, or toothed, rarely 

 entire. Ft, very numerous, panicled or spiked, aggregate, 

 yellow; rarely white, brownish, or purple. Bracteas o\ate, 

 or lanceolate, pointed, of 2 orders, external and internal. 

 Whole genus perhaps Europa^an. Species extremely va- 

 riable, subject to cross imj^regnation. 



The Btattaria of Tournefort is smooth, except fine glandu- 

 lar hairs on the stalks. 



1. V. Thapsus, Great Mullein. High Taper. 



Leaves decurrent, crenate, woolly on both sides. Stem 

 simple. Cluster dense. Flowers almost sessile. 



V. Thapsus. Linn. Sp PL 252. Willcl v. 1 . 1 001 . Fl. Br. 249. 



En^L Bot. V. 8. L 549. TVoodv. Med. Bot. M25. Hook. Scot. 78. 



Sciirad. Ferhasc. 17. Fl. Dan, f. 631. 

 V. n. 581. Hall Hist V. 1.256. 

 V. mas latifolium luteum. Rail Syn. 287. Moris, v. 2. 485. n. 1. 



s-ct.b. t.9.f. 1. 

 V. aut Phlomos vulgaris tnas. Lob. Ic. 561./. 

 V. candidum mas. Fuchs. Hist. 845. t. 846. 

 V. primum. Matth. Falgr. v. 2. 487./. Dalech.Hist. 1298./ Ca- 



met. Epif. 878./ 

 V. latius. F)od. Pempt. 143./ 

 Tapsus barhatus. Ger. Em.773.f. 

 /3. Var. 2. Thapso-nigrura. With. 248. 

 On banks, and waste ground, on a chalky or gravelly soil. 

 Biennial. July, August. 

 Root spindle-shaped. Stem erect^ straight, 3 or 4 feet high, very 



