Voi.. III.] 



FIGWORT FAMILY. 



143 



Odontites. 

 Pedicularis. 

 Rhinanlhus. 

 Melampyrum. 



Seeds pendulous, few. 3 1 



Calyx split on the lower side or on both sides; capsule oblique. 32 



Calyx ovoid, much inflated and veiny in fruit. 33 



Ovules only 1 or 2 in each cell of the ovary; capsule 1-4-seeded; leaves opposite. 34. 



i. VERBASCUM I,. Sp. PI. 177. 1753- 



Biennial or rarely perennial, mostly tall and erect herbs, with alternate dentate pinnati- 

 fid or entire leaves, and rather large yellow purple red or white flowers, in terminal spikes, 

 racemes or panicles. Calyx deeply 5-cleft. or 5-parted. Corolla flat-rotate or slightly con- 

 cave, 5-lobed, the lobes a little unequal, the upper exterior, at least in the bud. Stamens 5, 

 inserted on the base of the corolla, unequal, all anther-bearing; filaments of the 3 upper 

 stamens, or of all 5, pilose; anther-sacs confluent into one. Ovules numerous; style dilated 

 and flattened at the summit. Capsule globose to oblong, septicidally 2-valved, many-seeded, 

 the valves usually 2-cleft at the apex. Seeds rugose, not winged. [The Latin name of the 

 great mullen; used by Pliny.] 



About 125 species, natives of the Old World. Besides the following, another is naturalized in 

 the western United States. 

 Plants densely woolly; flowers in dense terminal spikes, or spike-like racemes. 



Leaves strongly decurrent on the stem. i. V. Thapsus. 



Leaves not decurrent, or but slightly so. 2. V. phlomoides. 



Leaves white-tomentose beneath; flowers in large terminal panicles. 3. V. Lychnitis. 



Plant glabrous or sparingly glandular; flowers racemose. 4. V. Blattaria. 



i. Verbascum Thapsus L-. Great Mullen. Velvet or Mullen Dock. (Fig. 3229.) 



Verbascum Thapsus L. Sp. PI. 177. 1753. 



Erect, stout, simple or with some erect 

 branches, densely woolly all over with branched 

 hairs; stem 2-7 high, wing-angled \>y the bases 

 of the decurrent leaves. Leaves oblong, thick, 

 acute, narrowed at the base, dentate or den- 

 ticulate, 4 / -i2 / long, the basal ones borne on mar- 

 gined petioles; flowers yellow, 8 // -i2 // broad, 

 sessile, numerous in dense elongated spikes 

 rarely branched above; stamens unequal, the 

 three upper shorter with white hairy filaments 

 and short anthers, the two lower glabrous or 

 nearly so with larger anthers; capsule about 3 // 

 high, slightly longer than the woolly calyx. 



In fields and waste places, Nova Scotia to Minne- 

 sota, Florida and Kansas. Often a troublesome weed. 

 Naturalized from Europe. Native also of Asia. 

 Among some 40 English names are Hedge-, Hig- or 

 High-taper, Candlewick, Cow's Lungwort, Aaron's- 

 rod or -flannel, Feltwort, Hare's-beard, Jacob's-, 

 Jupiter's- or Peter's-staff, Ice-leaf, Torches, Plannel- 

 or Blanket-leaf, Woolen, i. e., Mullen. June-Sept. 



2. Verbascum phlomoides L. 



Clasping-leaved Mullen. (Fig. 3230.) 



Verbascum phlomoides L- Sp. PI. 1194. 1753- 



Stem rather stout, usually simple, i-4 

 high. Leaves oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 

 crenate, crenulate, or entire, woolly-tomen- 

 tose on both sides, sessile or somewhat 

 clasping, or slightly decurrent on the stem, 

 or the lower often petioled with truncate 

 or subcordate bases; flowers yellow, or 

 cream-color, i / broad or more, usually in a 

 solitary elongated tomentose spike-like ra- 

 ceme; pedicels clustered, shorter than the 

 calyx; stamens as in V. Thapsus; capsule 

 4 // -5 // long,exceeding the tomentose calyx. 



Eastern Massachusetts. Adventive or fugi- 

 tive from Europe or eastern Asia. June-Aug. 



