266 VKRBASCUM. 



branched pale yellowish hairs. Leaves numerous, alternate, crowding 

 the stem, all decurrent, densely dotted on both sides the margins, more 

 or less distinctly crenated, with a strong mid-rib and lateral branched 

 veins, the lower on footstalks, often a foot long, ovate oblong, tapering 

 at the base, 'the upper sessile, strongly decurrent at the base, forming 

 wings to the stem, oblong-lanceolate in the lower part of the stem, 

 with an acute point in the upper tapering. Inflorescence a much 

 crowded racemose spike, cylindrical, from one to two feet long. 

 Flowers large, handsome, golden yellow, gradually expanding from the 

 base upwards, and by their continual succession, are a considerable 

 time in flower, some are sessile, others on short stalks, each with a 

 narrow ovate-lanceolate Bractea as long as the calyx, woolly on the 

 outside, mostly smooth and pale on the inside. Calyx of five deep 

 lanceolate segments, the one next the stem narrower than the others, 

 pale, smooth, and shining, on the inner surface. Corolla wheel- 

 shaped, -with a short tube, sometimes the tube is longer, and approaches 

 funnel shape. The limb spreading, of jfive unequal rounded lobes, 

 woolly on the outside, smooth and veiny within. Stamens inserted 

 into the tube of the corolla, two of them with long slender filaments, 

 quite smooth, or with a few hairs, the others with much shorter and 

 very hairy filaments. Anthers bright orange, those on the two long 

 filaments much larger than the others. Style nearly as long as the 

 corolla, hairy below, swollen upwards. Stigma obtuse, green. Capsule 

 surrounded by the persistent calyx, ovate, compressed, fun-owed on 

 each side, downy, with two cells, opening with two valves. Seeds very 

 numerous, angular, compressed, beautifully dotted, attached to a 

 placenta formed by the disseppiments. 



Habitat. Fields, banks, and road sides; frequent, especially in a 

 light sandy soil. 



Biennial; flowering from June to August. 



This large conspicuous plant has, no doubt, obtruded itself on the 

 notice of, and is known by many persons who are mere admirers 

 of flowers : but those who explore with more than with a general 

 eye this vast field of investigation, will find in this plant much 

 that is worthy of minute examination. The hairs with which 

 almost the whole plant is so abundantly clothed, are very delicate, and 

 of exquisite structure, branched and stellated in a remarkable manner. 

 The unequal stamens with their different filaments, and variously 

 formed anthers : the capsule and the beautiful seeds, are all parts 

 whose 'use and curious structures will afford much interest in their 

 examination, and the offices they perform in the economy of the 

 plant. 



The flowers, " when dried in the sun give out a kind of fatty matter, 

 used in Alsace as a cataplasm in Loemorrhoidal complaints." The 



