VENIDIUM 



Var. calenduliceum, Harvey (V. calendulAceum, 

 Less.), differs in having the petioles not eared at the 

 base or with only a small ear. R.H. 1857, p. 123. Gn. 

 21, p. 405. -Opinions differ as to its merits. Some con- 

 sider it coarse and weedy ■\^_ jl, 



VENTILATION. See Greenhouse Management, p. 694. 



VENUS' FLY-TKAP. Dlonasa muscipula. 



VENUS' HAIR. Adiantum CapiUus-Veneris. 



VENUS' LOOKING-GLASS. Specularia Speculum. 



VENUS' or VENICE SUMACH. Bhus Cotimts. 



VfiPKIS. See Toddalia. 



VEEATEUM (ancient name o£ Hellebore). LiUAcerr. 

 False Hellebore. A genus of about 10 species of tall. 

 perennial herbs from the tem- 

 perate regions of the northern 

 hemisphere with short, thick, 

 poisonous root - stocks and 

 rather stout simple stems 

 bearing many broad, plieate 



leaves and terminated by a i 



long, branched or simple pan 

 icle of numerous black pui 

 pie, white or greenish flowers 

 Perianth-segments 6, persis 

 tent, spreading ; stamens (> 

 attached at the base of th 

 segments: capsule ovoid 

 lobed, 3-loculed : seeds fl it 

 broadly winged. 



Veratrums are striking f li 

 age plants, of easy culture in 

 moist shady positions In 

 the open sunlight or m di\ 

 ground the foliage is liable t< 

 burn and decay prematureh 

 They may be propagited 1 \ 

 division or seeds. 



A. Fls. whitish or greenf^h 



B. Perianth-segments ciispt 1 



dentate. 



ilbum, Linn. Europe \n 

 White Hellebore. A hardy 

 perennial 3-4 ft. high: root 

 short, fleshy: Ivs. green, pli- 

 cate; radical Ivs. 1 ft. long, 

 oblong, 5-6 in. wide, firm in 

 texture: panicle 1-2 ft. long, 

 dense : fls. whitish inside, 

 greenish outside; segments oblong - spatulate, crisped- 

 dentate; pedicels almost none. June, July. Eu., N. 

 Asia. 



EB. Perianth-segments serrulate or entire. 



vlride, Linn. American White Hellebore. Indian 

 Poke. Fig. 2647. A hardy perennial, 2-7 ft. high : root- 

 stock 2-3 in. long: Ivs. plicate, acute, the lower oval, 

 about 1 ft. long, the upper gradually smaller: fls. yel- 

 lowish green: segments oblong or oblaneeolate, ciliate, 

 serrulate; pedicels 1-3 lines long. July. North America. 

 B.B. 1:408. B.M. 1096 (3elonias viride). 



CaliJdmicum, Durand. Stem very stout, 3-7 ft. high : 

 Ivs. ovate-acute, the upper ones lanceolate but rarely 

 acuminate: perianth-segments broader than in V. viride, 

 obtuse, whitish with a greener ba.se. Colo, and Wyo. to 

 N. Calif, and (Ire. -Int. 1883 by Pringle and Horsford. 

 The long panicle of whitish, bell-shaped, drooping fls. 

 is followed by ornamental fruits or capsules. 

 AA. Fls. blackish purple. 



nigrum, Linn. A hardy perennial often 2-4 ft. high, 

 somewhat bulbous .at the base : lower Ivs. oblong pli- 

 cate, 1 ft. long, 6-8 in. wide, narrowed at the base; 

 upper leaves lanceolate: panicle narrow: fls. blackish 

 purple; segments oblong, obtuse. June. Eu., Asia. 

 B.M. 963. J. B. Keller and F. W. Barclay. 



VERBASCUM 1909 



VEEBASCUM (old Latin name of the Mullein used 

 by Pliny). Scrophulariicen. Mullein. A genus of over 

 a hundred species, mostly coarse, woolly, weedy yellow- 

 fld. biennials native to the Mediterranean region. Con- 

 sidering the fact that the familiar Mullein ( V\ Thap- 

 sus) is everywhere known and despised in America, 

 the popularity of the genus in English wild gardens is 

 highly surprising. Over 30 kinds are cultivated, and 

 some of them have been pictured many times. A little 

 study of the group shows how much pleasure can be 

 missed bv any one who persists in one point of view. 

 The English farmer has no dread of the Mullein. The 

 Mullein is actually a favorite border plant in England, 

 especially for the back row and for shrubberies. One 

 connoisseur after growing many kinds of Verbascums 

 discarded them all except the common species. The 

 plant probably came to America from England, certainly 

 from Europe, but not long ago it was sold in England 

 under the name of "American Velvet Plant." The 

 "Soliiinrly Mullein" has often been praised by Ameri- 



Sbowing the h.iud 



■ early spring when 1 



about a foot high. 



can writers for its sturdy habit and resistance to 

 the wintry winds; and even a Mullein has its poetic 

 moment, for the young rosette of leaves in the early 

 morning is undeniably beautiful. 



There are a few true perennials and some subshrubi 

 among the Verbascums, but the species menti( 

 (except No. 17) are believed to be biennials, 

 the dominant eolor.with pale yelliiw ;nid white 

 The origin of the other colors is . x|.|;iiiira m 

 below. Mulleins usually self-s<.w I rrrh . 1 

 symmetrical rosettes are very s:iii-i:i' i"i > Hi. 

 especially in the case of the si: ) !■ 

 The second year they send up si;, ' : i i 



give scattering bloom over a li 'Ml: 

 June to Nov., being at their bi-i m Au^u i, 

 species m:- P. /.l,,, i,irei,m (see No. 1.,, I . i 

 (No. 17) aii.l r. I'hinmoides (No. 3), the la: 

 serving' s|M.ri;il ni.ii.-c. 



The Ulviii].iaii Mullein is the showiest of all Verbas- 

 cums ljtLau.su u£ its short season of bloom. It is pecu- 

 liar in the fact that three and sometimes four years are 

 necessary to bring it into bloom. Meanwhile it makes 

 noble tufts of silvery foliage, the Ivs. often attaining 

 3 ft. in length. The species is the best of the candela- 

 brum type, bv reason of its great height (0-10 ft.) and 

 the symmetrical branching of the spike. The fls. are 

 produced in multitudes for three weeks and they are 



ed below 

 Yellow is 



iiriations. 

 . r No. 12 

 . ir large 



best 



vo de- 



