CLASS V. ORDER I.] VERBASCUM. 271 



high, or more, slout, round, or slightly angular, mostly much branched 

 from the bottom upwards, smooth, or somewhat downy, leafy, and 

 partially winged from the more or less decurrent leaves. Leaves 

 variable, the lower ones large, much resembling those of the Primrose, 

 more or less lyrate, sometimes erosed, doubly toothed or serrated, those 

 on the lower part of the stem oblong lanceolate, doubly toothed 

 gi'adually towards the top of the stem, and at length heart-shaped, 

 taper-pointed, and simply serrated or toothed, clasping the stem, and 

 more or less decurrent, the upper ones are generally smooth, the lower 

 more or less profusely scattered over with stellated, sometimes glandular 

 hairs, all a palish green, with a strong mid-rib, and numerous branched 

 reticulated veins. Inflorescence long, simple or braiiched racemose 

 spikes terminating the stem and branches. Flowey.-i large, bright 

 yellow, in lateral clusters, of from one or two on the top of the stem, to 

 about six arising from the axis of a heart-shaped lanceolate, hractea 

 gradually becoming smaller, some of the fio\^ers nearly sessile, others 

 on a stalk as long as the calyx, hairy and elongating after flowering. 

 Calyx of five nearly equal lanceolate viscid segments, persistent 

 enlarging and enveloping the capsule. Corolla wheel-shaped, rather 

 large, bright yellow, of five ovate spreading nearly equal segments, 

 downy on the outside, smooth and veiny within. Stamens unequal, 

 two with long slender filaments, less thickly clothed with purple 

 down, and bearing larger curved anthers than the others. Style 

 about the length of tlie corolla, slender, somewhat hairy at the base, 

 thickened upwards. Stigma obtuse. Capsule globose, somewhat 

 hairy, and scarcely furrowed on each side, of two cells, opening with 

 two valves. Seeds numerous, small, angular. 



Habitat. — Fields and road sides; rare. Fields near Wrexham. — 

 3Irs. Nash. Near Plymouth. — Mr. Banks. Near Lincoln. — Mr. 

 Nicholson. On the College grounds, at West Green-lane, near 

 Kenmare, in Ireland. 



Biennial ; flowering in July and August. 



This is nearly allied to the following species, and we are disposed to 

 think that the Lincoln station given for this plant belongs to the 

 followin?, which we have collected there: we have received dry 

 specimens from the same quarter, named V. virgatum, which are 

 undoubtedly V. Blatlaria. 



8. V. Blat'taria, Linn. (Fig. 353.) 3Ioth Mullein. Leaves smooth, 

 oblong, acute, subcordate at the base, embracing the stem, crenate, the 

 radicle ones ovate oblong, attenuated at the base, siuuated; stem erect, 

 branched ; flowers in a long raceme, solitary, on a footstalk half as 

 long again as the bractea. 



English Botany, t. 393. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 313. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 112.— Lindley, Synopsis, p. 18L 



