220 SCEOPHULAEIACE2E. 



The Black Mullein (V. nigrum, Plate XIII., fig. 7), flourishes 

 most luxuriantly in the vicinity of Patrick Brompton, adorning 

 waste ground with its beautiful spikes. It grows as high as the 

 Great Mullein, but its flowers are much smaller, and of a paler 

 colour. To atone for this, they are placed on the spike in 

 clusters, so that the tali stem is thickly crowded with them. 

 The leaves are large and pointed, of a full green, and very 

 deeply veined. The violet stamens give great expression to 

 the bloom ; the anthers are orange. 



Near Crakehall I found a beautiful "White Mullein, also with 

 violet-fringed stamens. The flowers were large, and the spike 

 thinly scattered with them. The stem was taller and less firm 

 than in the other two species. There was no garden near, and 

 yet I could not be sure that it was a wild plant, for it did not 

 answer the description of any of the Mulleins. Fanny found 

 a similar plant on the sands at Clevedon ; and when we showed 

 our specimen to an eminent botanist, we were told that they 

 were from a rare white variety of the Moth Mullein (Y. Blat- 

 taria). 



Fanny found a plant resembling this on hilly pastures near 

 Looe, with yellow flowers ; this was the true Moth Mullein. 

 The buds are very pretty, for the calyces are edged with brown 

 starry hairs. 



There are a Large-flowered Mullein, six feet high, with the 

 flowers scattered at some distance from each other up the 

 stem ; a White Mullein, with downy leaves and cream-coloured 

 flowers ; and a Hoary Mullein, very woolly, and with scarlet 

 anthers and a panicled stem. All these are very rare, and 

 favour chalky soil chiefly. 



The large order of the Lipped Plants or LABIATES succeeds 

 that of the Figworts ; they are all wholesome. Perfume is 

 distilled from some of them, as Lavender-water, Patchouli, &c., 

 and Mr. Johns informs us that some of them are ingredients in 

 Eau de Cologne. They have their culinary virtues also, Sage, 

 Marjoram, Thyme, Basil, and Mint being the "pot-herbs" 



