1167 



VERBASCUM. 



VERBENACE.E. 



1193 



Cebadilla of commerce, and from which the poisonous alkaloid Vera- 

 trine of the Pharmacopoeia is directed to be prepared, has broad 

 ovate plantagineous leaves, dark purplish-black flowers, and capsules 

 situated on only one-half of the circumference of the stem. This 

 plant appears to be a native of the West Indies and Mexico, whence 

 also the true Cebadilla plant comes to this country. The true Ceba- 

 dilla plant has been stated by David Don to be the Heloniaa officinalis, 

 and more recently, by Lindley, Aiagrcea, officinalis. Previous to this 

 however Schiede, who travelled in Mexico, sent home specimens of 

 plants of Cebadilla, agreeing more with Vcratrum than any other 

 genus, and which Schlechtendal named Veratrum officinale. Dr. 

 Chri-tison, after an examination of the fragments of racemes, which 

 occur in commerce as Cebadilla, is inclined to think that Schiede's 

 plant supplies the greatest quantity to the market, although it is not 

 improbable that this and several allied species are frequently substi- 

 tuted for one another, as the quantity of Veratrine they contain is 

 much the same. [CEBADILLA.] 



3ASCUM, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 ficropkulariacem. It derives it? name from ' barbascum,' which was 

 applied to some of the species on account of the bearded filaments : 

 hence also the Italian name ' barbasso.' It has a 5-parted calyx; 

 rotate funnel-shaped corolla ; 5 stamens, all bearing anthers, which are 

 only occasion;illy not all lunate in the same flower; a 2 valved capsule 

 with seeds attached to the central placenta. There are about 70 

 species : they havo strong erect stems, with broad decurrent leaves, 

 and yellow, white, or purple flowers, disposed in dense or loose receines 

 or spikes. 



V. Thapiw, Great Mullein, has crenated decurrent oblongo-laueeo- 

 late tomentose leaves ; dense racemose spikes ; pedicels of the flowers 

 shorter than the calyx ; the segments of the calyx lanceolate, acute, 

 and tomentose above, and equal ill length to the fruit; the corolla 

 with the anther nearly equal. This plant is a native of waste sterile 

 places, especially of chalky and gravelly soils, throughout Europe. It 

 if also found in Siberia, Taurus, and Caucasus, and in Nepaul and 

 Kumaon. The leaves are remarkable for their woolly character, from 

 which the English name Mullein seems to have been applied to the 

 whole genus. Mullein (French, Molene) is said to be a corruption of 

 Woollen, and in German the plants are called Wollkriiuter. In different 

 districts in England this plant has very various names. In the northern 

 counties it is called Hag-Taper, from some supposed efficacy iu sorcery : 

 in many places this has been corrupted into Hig-Taper and High-Taper. 

 Torches, Bullock's Lung- Wort, Hare's Beard, Ladies' Fox-Glove, Mur- 

 rain-Grass, Shepherd's-Club, &c., are other names. The specific name 

 Thapiut, has been given to it on account of its growing in great abund- 

 ance at Thapsos in Africa. It is also abundant in Greece, and appears 

 to have been the Q\6nos \cumif fyfav of Dioscorides. This plant was 

 formerly much u=ed in medicine, and was considered to possess emol- 

 lient and narcotic properties, and on this account it still occupies a 

 place in the Dublin Pharmacopoeia. The French call this plant 

 Bouillon Blanc, and use an infusion of the flowers as a remedy in 

 coughs. When dried in the sun the flowers are said to give out a fatty 

 matter, which in Alsace is used as an application to haemorrhoids. 



V. Blattaria, Moth Mullein, has glabrous leaves, the lower ones 

 obovate-oblong, attenuated at the base, and somewhat sinuated ; those 

 of the stem oblong, acute, crenated, sessile; the racemes terminal, 

 elongated ; the pedicels solitary, twice as long as the bracts. It is a 

 native of the middle and south of Europe, some parts of Asia, and 

 North America. It is not a common plant in Great Britain, although 

 in some places it is abundant. It is called Blattaria, because it is said 

 to drive away the Blatta, or Cockroach. 



V. pulverulentum, Yellow Hoary Mullein, has ovato-oblong subser- 

 rated leaves, pulverulento-tomentose on both sides ; racemes panicled ; 

 pedicels equal in length to the caljces ; stem rounded. This plant is 

 a native of Dauphiny and of Great Britain, especially in the counties 

 of Xorfolk and Suffolk. 



V. nigrum, Dark Mullein, has oblongo-cordate petiolate crenated 

 leaves, nearly smooth above, but clothed with fine tomentum beneath; 

 racemes elongated ; pedicels twice as long as the calyx. It is a native 

 throughout Europe and iu Siberia, and is common on banks and way- 

 sides in gravelly and chalky soils in England. 



V. Ltjchniliii, White Mullein, has oblong wedge-shaped leaves, nearly 

 glabrous above, but clothed with tomentum below ; racemes panicled ; 

 pedicels twice as long as the calyx. It is found amongst rubbish and 

 in waste places throughout Europe, in the north of Asia, and m North 

 America, and is not uncommon in Great Britain. The powdery 

 totnentnm is used as tinder, and for making wicks for lamps, and 

 hence its specific name from \^ X mt, a lamp. The other British species 

 are V. thanfifurme, V. Jtoccosum, and V. virgatum. 



VEREK'NA, a genus of Plants, the type of the natural order 

 VerbenacKP. Moat of the species of this genus are weeds, and are 

 generally inhabitants of Europe and North America. The genus i 

 known by a tubular calyx with 5 teeth, one of them generally shorter 

 than ihn rent; tubular corolla with the limb rather unequal, 5-cleft; 

 unens included, and sometimes only 2 ; the seeds 2 or 4, inclosed 

 in a thin evanescent peri>::irp. 



r. ,,ifidnalii, Common Vervain, has 4 stamens with an erect some- 

 what hispid stem ; the leaves lanceolate, inciso-serrate, or trihd, with 

 the segmenU cut rough ; the spikes filiform, somewhat panicled, and 



the flowers rather remote. This plant is common in England. It is 

 not found in Ireland. It is an inhabitant also of Australia. This is 

 the jx ftorini, 'holy herb,' of Dioscorides, who ascribed great powers 

 to it, especially iu incantations. In most countries where it grows it 

 seems to have been invested with extraordinary powers. It at one 

 time entered into the composition of various charms and love-philters, 

 and has even now a popular reputation for predisposing persons favour- 

 ably towards those who administer a dose to them. The ancient 

 Druids revered it next to the mistletoe, and gathered it with religious 

 ceremonies. 



V. Aubletia, Rose-Coloured Vervain, is a native of North America, 

 in Georgia and the Carolinas, and was first brought to Europe in 1774. 

 It is known by its fine pink or crimson flowers. 



V. triphylla, Lemon-Scented Vervaiu, has panicled spikes, with 

 minutely distantly-toothed leaves, three iu a whorl ; stem shrubby. 

 This plant is a native of Chili. It is used on the continent for making 

 an infusion, which, when cold, is administered as a cooling drink iu 

 fevers, slight catarrhs, &c. 



VERBENA'CE^E, Vei-bens, a natural order of Exogenous Plants. 

 The species are trees or shrubs, sometimes only herbaceous plants, 

 with generally opposite, simple, or compound leaves without stipules. 

 The flowers are iu opposite corymbs or spiked alternately, sometimes 

 in dense heads, and very seldom axillary or solitary. The calyx is 

 tubular, persistent, inferior; the corolla is hypogynous, monopetalous, 

 tubular, deciduous, generally with an irregular limb; the stamens 4, 

 didynamous, seldom equal, occasionally 2 ; ovary 2-4-celled ; ovules 

 erect or pendulous, solitary or twin ; style 1 ; stigma bifid or undi- 

 vided ; fruit nucamentaceous, sometimes harried, composed of two or 

 four nucules in a state of adhesion ; seeds erect or pendulous, albumen 

 none, or in very small quantity; embryo always erect. (Lindley.) 



The great difference between these plants and those of Lamiaeea or 

 LabiatiS consists in their concrete carpels, terminal style, and tho 

 absence of oil-glands from their leaves. 



Yerbena mutahiiis. 



1, cutting with flowers ; 2, corolla opened with cliclynamoiia stamens ; 3, 

 calyx opened with nucamentosc fruit; 4, section of single fruit; 5, single 

 carpel. 



The plants of this order are rare in Europe, in the north of Asia, 

 and in the north of America; they are common in tho tropics of both 

 hemispheres, and in the temperate districts of South America. 



The plants belonging to this order havo no very active properties ; 

 those attributed to the Vervaiu [VKRUKNA] appear to have been imagi- 

 nary. The Lantana pseiulothere is aid, by Geoffroy St. Hilaire, to be 

 used iu Brazil as a substitute for tea, and is vulgarly called CapitaO 

 do Matto,orChadePedreste. [LANTANA.] The Teak-Tree [TECTONA], 



