1910 



VERBASCUM 



VERBASCUM 



smaller than in F. phlomoides. The plant has the dis- 

 advantage of being sensitive to wetness, its soft, 

 woolly Ivs. damping off in wet situations over winter. 



V. phlomoides, though less popular than the preced- 

 ing, is probably the best of all the yellow-fld. species. 

 It has the advantage over 

 V. Olympicum of being a 

 true biennial of easier cul- 

 ture with larger fls. and a 

 longer season of bloom, 8- 

 ^ 10 weeks, and even then if 



\ y cut half way down it will 



throw out lateral bloom in 

 late autumn. 



,*-.> Generic description: bien- 



& k| nial herbs, rarely perennial 



or suffruticose, more or less 

 woolly: racemes or spikes 

 terminal, simple or 

 branched: pedicels clustered 

 or solitary: calyx 5-cut or 

 5 -parted; corolla with al- 

 most no tube, rotate, rarely 

 concave, with 5 broad lobes; 

 stamens 5, affixed at base 

 of corolla ; style entire : 

 ovules numerous : capsule 

 globose ovoid or oblong. DC. 

 Prod., vol. 10. Boissier 

 Flora Orientalis, vol. 4. Gar- 

 den 27, p. 172 ; 41, p. 551. 

 American trade names are : 

 V. Chaixii, nigrum, Olym- 

 picum, pannosum, phlomo- 

 ides, phosniceum. 



J? 4 - 



2648. Verbascum Thapsus, 

 the common mullein. 



A. Anthers of the longer stamens ad- 

 n ate -decurrent. SECTION I 

 THAPSUS. 

 B. Fls. clustered. (Group 1. Eu- 



thapsus.) 



C. Anthers short-decurrent: co- 

 rolla concave at the throat. 1. Thapsus 

 CO. Anthers longer adnate-decur- 

 rent: corolla flattened out. 

 D. The fls. scarcely pediceled. 



E. Stem-lvs. long-decurrent. 2. thapsiforme 

 EE Stem-lvs. short-decurrent. 3. phlomoides 

 DD. 1 he fls. spicate, pedicels 

 sometimes as long as or 

 longer than the calyx. 



4. 



' . . . 5. erassifolium 



C. Plants woolly. (Group 2 



7 - 



Blattaria.} 



D. Pedicels in g's or S's... 8 

 DD. Pedicels solitary... g 



. Anthers all kidney-shaped and of 

 about equal size. SECTION II 



LiYCHNITIS. 



B. Racemes simple, or slightly 



branched. 



C. Calyx rather large. 

 D. Teeth of c.alyx ovate ...... 10 . niveum 



DD. Teeth of calyx linear-lan- 

 ceolate n. Boerhaavii 



CC. Calyx small. 



D. Fls. purple 12. phceniceum 



DD. Fls. yellow i;{. nigrum 



BB. JKacemes branched or pani- 



cled. 



c. Clusters of fls. finally remote. U. sinuatum 

 CC. Clusters of fls. near together. 

 D. Pedicels rarely as long as 



calyx ; 15. pyramidatum 



DD. Pedicels as long as calyx 



or longer. 

 E. Plant green and nearly 



glabrous 10. rubiginosum 



EE. Plants more or less 



woolly. 

 F. Filaments wliite- 



woolly. 



G. Tomentum fleecy: 

 Ivs. tomentose on 



both sides 17. Olympicum 



GG. Tomentum mealy: 



Ivs. greenish above.18. Lychnitis 

 FF. Filaments purple- 

 woolly 19. Chaixii 



1. Thapsus, Linn. COMMON MULLEIN. Fig. 2648 

 Familiar weed in woods and in uncultivated fields' 9 -6 

 ft. high, densely woolly, with large oblong root-lvs 'a"nd 

 long racemes of yellow flowers. Eu., Orient, Hima- 

 layas B.B 3:143. Gn. 28, p. 148. -Natural varie^es 

 have been observed with pale yellow and white fls. and 

 hybrids with V. sinuatum, Lychnitis, nigrum etc 

 Other variations are: inflorescence dense or lax, simple 

 or branched: fls. large or small: wool dense or loose- 

 filaments glabrous or pilose. The following European 

 trade names are said to be referable to this species- 

 V. canescens, Linnati, pallidum, Schraderi, and thap- 

 soides, all nearly synonymous; V. collinum, Lamotlei 

 2hapso-floccosum and var. Oordoni, Thapso-nigrum. 



2. thapsif6rme, Schrad. European species with yel 

 lowish tomentum and narrowly decurrent stem - Ivs 

 Var. macrurum, Benth. ( V. macriirum, Ten ) has 

 white tomentum and more widely decurrent leaves. 



3. phlomoides, Linn. A clasping-lvd. species valued 

 for its long season of bloom. It has clustered fls with 

 pedicels shorter than calyx. Naturalized in Mass. Gn. 

 40, p. 561; 41, p. 555. 



4 longifdlium, Ten. ( V. pannosum, Vis. & Pane ) 

 Italian species known by its very long root-lvs long 

 interrupted racemes which are somewhat branched the 

 lower clusters of fls. spicate. 



5. crassifdlium, Hoffm. & Link. Spanish plant, with 

 long-decurrent Ivs., spicate raceme, clustered Ivs flat- 

 tened corolla and glabrous filaments. -One of the few 

 species that thrives in a light, sandy soil. 



6. densifldrum, Bertol. Italian mountain species 

 known by its decidedly yellow wool and long dense 

 racemes. 



7. oyalifdlium, Sims. Showy Caucasian species with 

 fls. 1 m. across. Distinguished by its oval, white- 



>Uy Ivs. and solitary, sessile flowers. B.M 1037 

 a.ti. 1:008 (as V. formosum). 



8. virgatum, With. ( V. blattarioides, Lam.). This 

 and the next are two of the very few Verbascums that are 

 green throughout. V. glabrum, Willd., and V. viscidu- 

 lum Pers., represents its glabrous and sticky-pilose 

 variations. Cosmopolitan. 



9 Blattaria, Linn. MOTH MULLEIN. Blattaria is from 

 blatta, cockroach, which the plant is said to repel 

 Plant is frequented by moths, whence popular name. 

 Nativeof Europe and N.Asia; naturalized in America. 

 Une of the few green-leaved Verbascums, distinguished 



om V. virgatum by solitary pedicels. Fls. rarely white. 



10. niveum, Ten. Imperfectly known Italian species 

 itn white wool, very dense raceme of solitarv, sub- 

 sessile fls. and a 5-parted woolly calvx having ovate 

 lobes. 



