114 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



from being nearly destitute of hairs, hoary beneath, where hairs 

 are present ; even the uppermost leaves not amplexicaul ; the inter- 

 mediate ones shortly stalked, and the lowest attenuated into petioles 

 like the root-leaves. Plowers very numerous, ^ inch across, cream- 

 white, thoug'h on the Continent it is said to vary with yellow flowers. 

 Stamens whitish, with white hairs. Pedicels of unequal length in 

 the fascicle, as in V. pulverulentum, the longest about twice as long 

 as the calyx. Capsule J inch long, ovate-ovoid, clothed with stellate 

 down, fully twice as long as the strapshaped calyx-segments. 



White Mullein. 



French, Molene Lychnite. German, Licktnelkenartiges Wollkraut. 



SPECIES IV.— VERB A SCUM NIGRUM. Linn. 

 Plate DCCCCXL. 

 Rdch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XX. Tab. MDCXLIX. Fig. 1. 



Stem angular above, simple or rarely branched. Radical 

 leaves oblong-ovate or oblong-lanceolate, subcordate at the base, 

 on long stalks, subacute, irregularly and coarsely crenate or doubly 

 crenate ; lower stem-leaves similar to the radical ones, but on 

 shorter stalks ; intermediate ones very shortly stalked, ovate-acute 

 or acuminate, crenate or crenate-serrate ; upper ones sessile, not 

 decurrent, smaller, acuminate. Plowers shortly stalked, in fascicles 

 arranged in a long nearly continuous spike-like raceme at the 

 extremity of the stem, and also of the branches when these are 

 present. Longest pedicels about as long as the calyx at the time 

 of flowering. Limb of the corolla flat, five or six times as long 

 as the tube. Stamens with all the filaments clothed with purple 

 woolly hairs and with uniform sub-reniform transverse anthers. 

 Stigma notched at the apex. Capsule rather small, nearly twice 

 as long as the small strapshaped calyx-segments. Whole plant 

 more or less thickly covered with hairs stellate at the apex, firmly 

 attached to the plant, usually felted on the under side of the leaves 

 and the pedicels. 



Roadsides and borders of fields and dry pastures in chalky or 

 gravelly soils. R^ather rare, but generally distributed throughout 

 the southern half of England. In the northern counties and in 

 Haddingtonshire and Edinburgh it is probably introduced. It is 

 probably extinct in the former Scotch locality, as I have searched 

 for it repeatedly in vain. 



England, Scotland (?) Perennial or biennial. Late Summer 



and Autumn. 



