3442 



VERBASCUM 



VERBASCUM 



cc. Corolla glandular: fts. solitary or 

 in few-fid, clusters. (Subsection 

 6. Blattarioidea.) 

 D. Segms. of calyx linear-lanceo- 

 late 25. rubiginosum 



DD. Segms. of calyx elliptical 26. phoeniceum 



Section I. THAPSUS. 

 Subsection 1. EUTHAPSI. 



1. Thapsus, Linn. (7. Blattaria, J. A. Schmidt, not 

 Linn. F. gigantbum, Willk. V. Schraderi, Mey.). 

 COMMON MULLEIN. Fig. 3909. Biennial, 2-6 ft. high, 



densely yellowish 

 tomentose : radical 

 Ivs. oblong, crenu- 

 late, petioled; cau- 

 line Ivs. decurrent 

 from If. to If.: fls. 

 yellow, fascicles 

 forming spike; 'calyx 

 tomentose, lobes 

 lanceolate ; corolla 

 small, concave. Eu., 

 especially N. and 

 Cent., and Cent. 

 Asia, also natural- 

 ized in N. Amer. 

 Gn. 28, p. 148. A 



3909. Rosette of mullein. Verbascum familiar weed in 

 Thapsus. woods and unculti- 



vated fields. Hy- 

 bridizes very readily with other species. There is also 

 a white form of the species. This plant varies con- 

 siderably in the color and size of its fls., the denseness 

 of its mfl., and probably occurs under several trade 

 names in Eu. A first-year rosette in a pot makes an 

 attractive plant (Fig. 3909). 



2. thapsifdnne, Schrad. (V. densiflorum, Bertol.). 

 Biennial, about 2-5 ft. high, densely yellowish tomen- 

 tose: radical Ivs. oblong-elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, 

 crenulate, attenuate to the petiole; cauline Ivs. nar- 

 rowly decurrent from If. to If.: fls. in fascicles forming 

 spike, large, yellow; calyx tomentose, segms. lanceolate; 

 corolla rotate, rather flat. Eu. and Cent. Russia. Var. 

 macrftrum, Benth. (F. macrurum, Ten.), is white- 

 tomentose and the cauliae Ivs. are more broadly decur- 

 rent. Italy. 



3. phlomoides, Linn. Biennial, 4r-6 ft. high, whitish- or 

 yellowish tomentose: radical Ivs. crenulate, elliptic or 

 oblong-lanceolate, attenuate to the petiole; cauline Ivs. 

 amplexicaul, usually cordate or very shortly decurrent: 

 fls. yellow, in very short fascicles forming a long raceme; 

 calyx tomentose, segms. triangular-lanceolate; fila- 

 ments white-woolly. S. E. Eu. and Caucasus. Gn. 40, 

 p. 561; 41, p. 555. Var. album, Hort., has creamy white 

 fls. The species has become naturalized in E. N. Amer. 



4. longifdlium, Ten. Biennial, 3-4 ft. high, covered 

 with white or yellowish flocculent tomentum: Ivs. 

 numerous, densely superposed; lower lJ^-2 ft. long, 

 narrowly ovate or oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, base 

 narrowed to a short petiole; upper sessile, base amplexi- 

 caul, all undulate: infl. sessile, 1 ft. long, 3^ in. diam., 

 with innumerable short appressed branches: fls. golden 

 yellow, about 1 in. across; calyx stellate-tomentose, 

 segms. lanceolate. S. Eu. B.M. 7707. Var. pannosum, 

 Hort.( V. panndsum, Vis. and Pane.), is more densely 

 tomentose, the infl. is laxer and more branched and the 

 fls. often larger. G. 31:105. Gn. 62, p. 165. Not a 

 good variety botanically. 



5. crassifdlium, Hoffm. & Link. Biennial, about 3-4 

 ft. high, densely yellowish tomentose: Ivs. obovate- 

 spatulate, 6-8 in. long, crenulate; cauline long-decur- 

 rent: fls. fascicled in a spicate raceme, yellow; corolla 

 flattened; filaments glabrous. Portugal. Closely allied 



to and possibly only a variety of V. thapsiforme. One 

 of the few species said to thrive well in a light sandy soil. 



Subsection 2. SPECTABILES. 



6. ovalifdlium, Don (F. formosum, Fisch.). Biennial, 

 about 2-3 ft. high, gray-tomentose : Ivs. large, ovate, 

 petioled, coarsely and rather double-crenate, cordate, 

 petioled, hoary beneath; upper Ivs. cordate-clasping: 

 fls. sessile or nearly so, solitary, large, 1J^ in. across, 

 bright yellow, in a spike; calyx densely white-tomentose, 

 segms. broad-lanceolate; filaments orange- or purple- 

 woolly. S. Russia. B.M. 1037. B.R. 558. 



7. Wiedemannianum, Fisch. & Mey. Biennial, 1-3 

 ft. high, appressed, arachnoid woolly: st. stout, tall, 

 leafy below: Ivs. lanuginoss; radical oblong or elliptic, 

 3-5 in. long, crenate or rather entire, attenuate to the 

 petiole; cauline diminutive, oblong, sessile: fls. solitary, 

 in a simple raceme or slightly branched panicle, large, 

 1J4 in. across, indigo-blue to purplish lilac; calyx densely 

 glandular-hirsute, segms. lanceolate-linear; filaments 

 purple-bearded. Caucasus. G.C. III. 14:785. Gt. 43, 

 p. 76. 



Subsection 3. BLATTABIA. 



8. virgatum, With. (F. Blattaria, Veil., not Linn. F. 

 Ulattarimdes, Lam. V. glabrum, Willd. V. viscidulum, 

 Pers.). Biennial, 1^-3 H ft. high, whole plant green, 

 somewhat viscid-hispid or nearly glabrous: Ivs. glabrous 

 or glandular-hispid, especially beneath, oblong; lower 

 petioled, dentate or sinuate-pinnatifid; upper sessile, 

 cordate-clasping or shortly decurrent: raceme glandu- 

 lar-hispid; pedicels in 2's or 3's, rarely solitary: fls. 

 yellow, throat violet; filaments violet-woolly. Cos- 

 mopolitan. 



9. Blattaria, Linn. MOTH MULLEIN. Biennial, 8 

 in. to 4 ft., glabrous and green: sts. usually tall: Ivs. 

 oblong or oblong-lanceolate, dentate; lower attenuate 

 to the petiole, undivided or sinuate-pinnatifid; upper 

 sessile, cordate-amplexicaul, acute: raceme very long 

 and lax: fls. rather large, yellow, rarely white, borne on 

 solitary pedicels; calyx glandular, segms. linear-lanceo- 

 late; corolla-throat violet: caps, globose, longer than 

 the calyx. Eu., N. Asia. Distinguished from F. 

 virgatum, which it resembles, by the solitary pedicels. 



Section II. LYCHNITIS. 

 Subsection 1. THAPSOIDEA. 



10. niveum, Ten. Biennial, about 2 ft. high, pos- 

 sibly more, white-tomentose: Ivs. ovate-oblong, crenate, 

 undulate; lowest petioled, the others sessile, acuminate, 

 rather spoon-like, shortly half-decurrent, the wings 

 cuneate: raceme simple and very dense: fls. yellow, 

 rarely white, solitary, subsessile; calyx-segms. ovate, 

 acute; filaments white-woolly. S. Italy. 



11. Boerhaavii, Linn. Biennial, about 2 ft. high, 

 snow-white, tomentose-floccose, finally deciduous: st. 

 reddish, leafy: Ivs. crenate-dentate; lower ovate, obtuse, 

 petioled; upper cordate-clasping, acute or acuminate: 

 fls. in a long rigid spike-like raceme, yellow, in subsessile 

 fascicles; calyx tomentose and glandular- viscid; segms. 

 lanceolate; corolla violet-spotted at the throat; fila- 

 ments violet-bearded. Medit. region. 



12. glomeratum, Boiss. Biennial, 4-6 ft. high, densely 

 grayish yellow, ragged, tall and stout: lower Ivs. 1 ft. or 

 more long, 3-4 in. broad, subentire, subsessile, oblong- 

 lanceolate, base attenuate; upper Ivs. ovate, acuminate 

 from a cordate-subauriculate base: infl. thyrsoid- 

 paniculate: fls. subsessile in 3-4-fld. glomerules, yellow; 

 calyx-segms. lanceolate; corolla strongly tomentose 

 outside; filaments yellowish bearded. Asia Minor. 



13. simplex, Labill. Perennial, about 2 ft. high, 

 many-stemmed, base shrubby, densely white or yel- 

 lowish, ragged: st. leafy below then prolonged into a 

 long (6-12 in.) simple, strongly interrupted, rarely 



