Vol. III.] 



FIGWORT FAMILY. 



143 



Seeds pendulous, few. 31. Odontites. 



Calyx split on tlie lower side or on both sides; capsule oblique. 32. Pedicularis. 

 Calyx ovoid, much inflated and veiny in fruit. 33. Rliinanllius. 



Ovules only i or 2 in each cell of the ovary; capsule i-4-seeded; leaves opposite. 34. Melampyrum. 



I. VERBASCUM L. Sp. PI. 177. 1753. 



Biennial or rarely perennial, mostly tall and erect herbs, with alternate dentate pinnati- 

 fid or entire leaves, and rather large yellow purple red or white flowers, in terminal spikes, 

 racemes or panicles. Calyx deeply 5-cleft or s-parted. Corolla flat-rotate or slightly con- 

 cave, 5-lobed, the lobes a little unequal, the upper exterior, at least in the bud. Stamens 5, 

 inserted on the base of the corolla, unequal, all antlier-bearing; filaments of the 3 upper 

 stamens, or of all 5, pilose; anther-sacs confluent into one. Ovules numerous; style dilated 

 and flattened at the summit. Capsule globose to oblong, septicidally 2-valved, many-seeded, 

 the valves usually 2-cleft at the apex. Seeds rugose, not winged. [The Latin name of the 

 great muUen; used by I'lin}'.] 



.A.bout 125 species, natives of the Old World. Besides the following;, another is naturalized in 

 the western t'nited States. 

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



Leaves strongly decurrent on the stem. i. V. Tliapsus. 



Leaves not decurrent, or but slightly so. 2. V. phlonioides. 



Leaves white-tomentose Ijeneath; flowers in large terminal panicles. 3. V. Lychnitis. 



Plant glabrous or sparingly glandular; flowers racemose. 4. l'. Blattaiia. 



I. Verbascum Thapsus I,. Great Mullen. Velvet or Mullen Dock. (Fig. 3229.) 



Verbasciim Thapsus L. Sp. PI. 177. 1753. 



Erect, stout, simple or with some erect 

 branches, densely woolly all over with branched 

 hairs; stem 2°--° high, wing-angled by the bases 

 of the decurrent leaves. Leaves oblong, thick, 

 acute, narrowed at the base, dentate or den- 

 ticulate, 4'-i 2' long, the basal ones borne on mar- 

 gined petioles; flowers yellow, S"-i2" broad, 

 sessile, numerous in dense elongated spikes 

 rarely branched above; stamens unequal, the 

 three upper shorter with white hairy filaments 

 and short anthers, the two lower glabrous or 

 nearh- so with larger anthers; capsule about 3" 

 high, slight!}- longer than the woolly calyx. 



In fields and waste places, Nova Scotia to Minne- 

 sota, Florida and Kansas. Often a troublesome weed. 

 Naturalized from Europe. Native also of Asia. 

 Among some 40 English names are Hedge-, Hig- or 

 High-taper, Candlewick, Cow's Lungwort, Aaron's- 

 rod or -flannel, Feltwort, Hare's-beard, Jacob's-, 

 Jupiter's- or Peter's-staff, Ice-leaf, Torches, Flannel- 

 or Blanket-leaf, Woolen, /. e., JluUen. June-Sept. 



2. Verbascum phlomoides L. 



Clasping-leaved Mullen. (Fig. 3230.) 

 Verbascuvi phlomoides L- Sp. PI. 1194. 1753. 

 Stem rather stout, usually simple, i°-4° 

 high. Leaves oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 

 crenate, crenulate, or entire, woolly-tomen- 

 tose on both sides, sessile or somewhat 

 clasping, or slightly decurrent on the stem, 

 or the lower often petioled with truncate 

 or subcordate ba.ses; flowers yellow, or 

 cream-color, 1' broad or more, usually in a 

 solitary elongated tomentose spike-like ra- 

 ceme; pedicels clustered, shorter than the 

 calyx; stamens as in I'. Thapsus; capsule 

 A/'S" long,exceeding the tomentose calyx. 



Eastern Massachusetts. Adventive or fugi- 

 tive from Europe or eastern Asia. June-Aug. 



T 



