Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 303 



FIGWORT FAMILY (Scrophulariaceae). 



A large family of herbs with, perfect but irregular 

 flowers, usually with two sets of stamens of different 

 lengths. They all have bitter juices and some of 

 them are narcotic-poisonous. 



COMMON or GREAT MULLEIN (Verbascum Thap- 

 sus) (EUROPEAN), This well known plant is one 

 of the most common sights along roadsides and in 

 dry fields. It is very conspicuous, the more so from 

 the fact that it commonly grows where other plant 

 life is of small stature. Its long stalk rises from 2 to 

 7 feet above ground; the plant may well be compared 

 to its neighbors as a modern skyscraper surrounded 

 by cottages. 



Mullein leaves are very soft, with fine white downy 

 hairs; they have given to the plant a name very of- 

 ten applied, ."Flannel Plant." The basal tuft of 

 leaves first appears; they are large, ovate and point- 

 ed. The ones on the tall stalk are smaller and 

 diminish in size to bracts as they reach the bottom 

 of the long flower spike. From June until Septem- 

 ber, these flowers open a few at a time and last but a 

 day. The light yellow corolla has five uneven, con- 

 caved lobes and five protruding stamens; three of the 

 stamens are fuzzy and tipped with orange anthers, 

 the others are smooth. 



Mullein is always associated in my mind with King- 

 birds because the tall spires are commonly used as 

 lookout perches. It is very common throughout our 

 range. 



MOTH MULLEIN (Verbascum Blattaria) (EURO- 

 PEAN) has a tall, very slender stalk at the summit 

 of which is a loose raceme. The flowers open two or 

 three at a time; they are large, have five petals, very 

 prominent stamens and orange anthers. The upper 

 leaves are lance-shaped, the lower ones have the 

 margins deeply cut, toothed, and notched. It is com- 

 mon from Me. to Ontario and southwards. J 



