VERBASCUM 



VERBASCUM 



3443 



slightly branched raceme: radical Ivs. 1-2 in. long, 

 crenulate, ovate- or oblong-spatulate, very obtuse, 

 long-petioled; cauh'ne Ivs. sessile or nearly so, arranged 

 in remote glomerules of 2-5: fls. yellow; calyx white- 

 tomentose, segms. oblong, mucronate; filaments white- 

 bearded. Syria. G.C. III. 36:2. 



Subsection 2. GLOMEBATA. 



14. mucronatum, Lam. Biennial, several feet high, 

 densely white, ragged-tomentose : st. erect, crowded, 

 leafy, large-panicled: Ivs. thick; radical oblong, crenate, 

 sometimes somewhat lobed and somewhat petioled; 

 cauh'ne Ivs. oblong, rather long-decurrent; uppermost 

 suborbiculate, mucronate: glomerules of fls. globose, 

 forming a long virgate, interrupted raceme: fls. sub- 

 sessile, white; calyx silky-lanate, segms. broad-lanceo- 

 late; filaments white-woolly. Asia Minor and Crete. 



15. sinuatum, Linn. Biennial, 2-3 ft. high, more or 

 less densely yellowish or gray-tomentose: radical Ivs. 

 oblong-spatulate, subsessile, sinuate-pinnatifid, usu- 

 ally undulate; upper cauline Ivs. oblong, acute, entire 

 and short-decurrent : panicle pyramidal; branches 

 elongated, twig-like: fls. yellow, rarely white, in remote 

 glomerules; calyx tomentellous, segms. short-lanceolate; 

 corolla small; filaments purple-woolly. Medit. region 

 and Canary Isls. 



Subsection 3. PYRAMIDATA. 



16. pyramidatum, Bieb. Biennial, 2-4 ft. high, 

 tomentose: st. stout: Ivs. green above, canescent 

 beneath; radical Ivs. large, oblong, base long-narrowed, 

 doubly and obtusely lobed or crenate; upper Ivs. ses- 

 sile, ovate, auriculate-cordate, long-acuminate: panicle 

 pyramidal, sometimes 2 ft. long, canescent; branches 

 finally rather lax: fls. yellow, solitary or in pairs; calyx 

 tomentose, segms. oblong or ovate; corolla large; fila- 

 ments purple-woolly. Caucasus. 



Subsection 4. LYCHNITIDEA. 



17. nigrum, Linn. (V. Hinkei, Friv.). Biennial, 2-3 

 ft. high: st. tall, angled above: Ivs. green above, more or 

 less tomentose beneath; lower long-petioled, ovate or 

 oblong, base cordate; uppermost sessile, base rotundate: 

 infl. a simple or slightly branched elongated raceme: 

 fls. small, yellow, in many-fld., lax fascicles; calyx 

 hirsute, segms. lanceolate-subulate; corolla-throat 

 purple; filaments violet-bearded. Eu. and Asia. Gn. 

 27, p. 173. Var. album, Hort., has white fls. G. 15:159. 

 Gn. 41, p. 551. 



18. Chaixii, Vill. Biennial, usually about 3 ft. high, 

 whitish tomentose: st. somewhat angled above: Ivs. 

 ovate to oblong, green or tomentose below, crenate; 

 lower 3-6 in. long, petioled, base cuneate, more or less 

 crenate or rather incised; upper Ivs. sessile, base rotun- 

 date: racemes paniculate, fascicled and laxly several- 

 fid.: fls. yellow; calyx-segms. lanceolate-subulate; 

 corolla-lobes nearly rotund, filaments purple-woolly. 

 S. Eu. Gn. 27, p. 172; 78, p. 435. Var. album, Hort., is 

 a white-fid, form. This species is said to reach a height 

 of 10 ft. and to act like a true perennial in warm soils. 

 V. orientale, Bieb., is considered the same by some 

 authorities; apparently not in cult. The vars. semi- 

 lanatum, Hort., and Freynidnum, Hort., are really 

 hybrids. 



^ 19. pyramidale, Host. (V. speciosum x V. orien- 

 tale). Biennial, 3-4 ft. high, white-pilose: Ivs. rugose, 

 crenate, acuminate, radical and lower cauline Ivs. 

 oblong, broad, upper smaller, strongly canescent: fls. 

 small, collected in glomerules, yellow; calyx densely 

 tomentose; corolla-lobes obovate, red-brown-maculate 

 at base; filaments white or purplish hairy. Austria. 

 Neither of the parents are in cult, and it is questionable 

 what the material in the trade under this name really 

 is; possibly it is V. pyramidatum. 



218 



20. Lychnitis, Linn. Biennial, tomentose: Ivs. cre- 

 nate, green above, slightly hoary or canescent beneath; 

 radical oblong-elliptic, narrowed to the petiole; upper 

 Ivs. sessile, lanceolate: infl. paniculate; branches erect- 

 spreading, angled: fls. small, yellow or white; calyx 

 tomentose, segms. lanceolate, acute, tips glabrous; 

 filaments white-woolly. Eu. and Caucasus. 



21. pulverulentum, Vill. Biennial, 3-9 ft. high, 

 densely white-floccose-tomentose: Ivs. entire or obso- 

 letely crenate; radical Ivs. oblong or elliptic, attenuate 

 to a short petiole; upper Ivs. ovate or rotundate, clasp- 

 ing: infl. a pyramidal panicle: fls. yellow, in slightly 

 remote fascicles; calyx densely floccose, segms. linear- 

 lanceolate; corolla small; filaments white-woolly. Eu. 

 Gn. 73, p. 422. 



22. songaricum, Schrenck. Biennial, several feet 

 high, white-tomentose : lower Ivs. lanceolate, acute, 

 narrowed to the petiole ; cauline sessile, oblong, cordate- 

 auriculate; uppermost subrotund, cuspidate: racemes 

 panicled: fls. in fascicles, yellow; calyx-segms. lanceo- 

 late; filaments white-bearded. Soongaria. 



23. olympicum, Boiss. Biennial, 3-5 ft. or more high, 

 densely white-tomentose: lower Ivs. usually 6 in. long, 

 oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, entire, base attenuate; 

 upper Ivs. short-lanceolate, acute: panicles pyramidal, 

 the racemes very long, lax; glomerules many-fld.: fls. 

 rather large, about 1 in. across, bright yellow; calyx 

 very tomentose, segms. long and narrowly linear- 

 lanceolate; filaments white-bearded. Greece. G. 13: 

 669. Gn. 30, p. 213; 31, p. 125; 38, pp. 55, 66; 41, p. 

 555; 47, p. 147; 70, p. 91; 78, p. 436. Gag. 1:273. J.H. 

 111.52:119. Gt. 31:1078. 



Subsection 5. LEIANTHA. 



24. leianthum, Benth. Biennial, up to 14 ft. high, 

 covered with a dense white felt: basal Ivs. very large, 

 sometimes 4 x 2 ft.; cauline Ivs. oblong, crenate, rugose, 

 base decurent, lax, whitish tomentose on both sur- 

 faces: infl. much branched up to 7 x 3}/ ft., laxly many- 

 fld.: fls. bright yellow, %in. across; calyx-segms. small, 

 oblong-lanceolate, rather obtuse. Asia Minor. G.C. 

 111.44:171. Gn. 72, p. 509. 



Subsection 6. BLATTARIOIDEA. 



25. rubiginSsum, Waldst. & Kit. . Biennial, about 2-3 

 ft. high: st. glabrous or pubescent above: Ivs. green, 

 pubescent beneath, crenate; lower petioled; upper 

 sessile or cordate-clasping: racemes laxly branched, 

 somewhat paniculate; pedicels in 2's or 3's, rarely 

 solitary, twice or many times as long as the calyx: fls. 

 reddish purple; calyx-segms. linear-lanceolate; fila- 

 ments purple-woolly. S. E. Eu. and Caucasus. 

 Boissier Flora Orientalis suggest that this is a hybrid 

 between V. phceniceum and V. nigrum. Var. ferru- 

 gineum, Benth. (V . ferrugineum, Mill.), has a long simple 

 raceme and slightly larger and longer-pedicelled fls. than 

 the type. Horticultural form, possibly a hybrid. 



26. phoeniceum, Linn. (V. ferrugineum, And.). 

 PURPLE MULLEIN. Biennial, about 5 ft. high: Ivs. 

 glabrous above, short-puberulent beneath; radical 

 rosulate, ovate or oblong-rhomboid, attenuate to the 

 short petiole, obtuse, obtusely crenate or repand; 

 cauline Ivs. ftw, sessile, oblong or lanceolate, acute: fls. 

 purple or red, in a simple slender raceme; calyx glandu- 

 lar, obtuse segms. elliptical; corolla glabrous; filaments 

 purple-woolly. S. E. Eu., Caucasus, and Persia. G. 

 15:158. Gn. 22, p. 377; 27, p. 173; 41, p. 566. A.G. 

 13:630. L. B. C. 7:637. The name phceniceum was 

 undoubtedly suggested by the Phoenician purple and 

 not by the habitat. One of the parents of nearly all the 

 hybrids having fls. of purple, violet, rose, pink, and lilac 

 shades. The fls. open poorly in sunshine, preferring 

 damp weather, consequently the locality should be one 

 where only the morning and evening sun strike the 



