154 VERBASCINEtE. [part i. 



the corolla plaited in the bud, and in having 

 the anthers only one-celled ; distinctions which 

 have been thought of sufficient importance to 

 induce many botanists to make this tribe a 

 separate order. 



The British plant sometimes called the Shep- 

 herd's Club, and sometimes the common Mullein 

 or Flannel flower (Verbascum Thapsus), is a 

 familiar example of this genus. In this plant 

 the flower is rotate, or wheel-shaped, and divided 

 into five rather unequal lobes. The calyx is 

 five-cleft; and it possesses such a power of 

 collapsing over the ovary, that when the stem of 

 the plant is struck sharply with a hard sub- 

 stance, every open flower is forced off by the 

 sudden closing of its calyx. There are five 

 stamens, the filaments of which are bearded, 

 and the anthers crescent-shaped; and a capsule, 

 the two cells of which frequently run into one, 

 and which opens by two valves at the apex. 

 The flowers are crowded together in a thick 

 spike-like raceme, which bears no small resem- 

 blance to a club. This plant was formerly sup- 

 posed to be efficacious in driving away evil 

 spirits ; and hence it was called Hag's-taper, now 

 corrupted to High-taper. The whole plant is 

 mucilaginous, and a decoction of it is often given 

 to cattle w^hen they are suffering under pulmo- 

 nary complaints ; and hence is derived another 



