THE MULLEN. 



Most of the familiar or useful plants 

 have had their origin or characteristics 

 accounted for by myths or legends, 

 whereby the ignorant and superstitious 

 have attempted to explain such features 

 as attracted their attention. Some of 

 these ideas were creditable to the plant, 

 while others were quite the contrary. The 

 Mullen appears to have led a dual exist- 

 ence, seeking an alliance with the spiritu- 

 al world and at the same time aiding and 

 abetting the witches in their nefarious un- 

 dertakings. 



A very pretty story concerning the 

 Mullen is attributed to the American In- 

 dian, but in some regards it seems to be a 

 variant of the Scandinavian Tree of Life 

 myth. It appears that the Great Spirit 

 of the red men lived at the top of a high 

 tree whose branches reached to the heav- 

 ens ; as no mortal could attain to this high 

 attitude, a spirit of the woods, in the guise 

 of a beautiful maiden, took pity upon the 

 people and so fashioning a ladder from 

 the stems of the wild grape vine, she fas- 

 tened it to a star. In order that the Great 

 Father might not be disturbed, the fair 

 sylvan carpeted the steps of the ladder 

 with the velvet leaves of the Mullen, up- 

 on which she noiselessly ascended and de- 

 scended, bearing the petitions of the red 

 men or bringing to them advice or ad- 

 monitions. 



Of the one hundred and twenty-five 

 species of Mullen that are native to the 

 old world, five have become naturalized in 

 the United States. The Great Mullen 

 (Verbascum thapsus), so familiar in dry, 

 open fields, was originally christened by 

 Pliny and has since received over forty 

 English names of a less classical origin 

 and significance. The name Verbascum 

 is supposed to be derived from Berbas- 

 cum, meaning a. beard. Pliny doubtless 

 selected this name, either because of the 

 hairs on the stems of the plants or on 



account of the silky character of the 

 leaves. The specific name, thapsus, is said 

 to have been added, as the plants grew in 

 considerable numbers in the vicinity of 

 Thapsus. 



One of the significant but impracticable 

 common names of the Great Mullen is 

 Hag-taper. The plant gained this un- 

 pleasant appellation by reason of the fact 

 that if any one steps on a young Mullen 

 plant after sundown, the witches will ride 

 him as a horse until morning, lighting the 

 way with Mullen stalks used for torches. 

 These torches were also employed at the 

 meetings of the hags and witches, when 

 the leaves of the plant were an important 

 element in the concoctions prepared in 

 their cauldrons. Another name is Hare's 

 Beard, illustrating a class of plants that 

 have weird names because of some fan- 

 cied likeness to animals. The name Cow's 

 Lungwort, arose from the resemblance be- 

 tween the leaf and the dewlap of a cow, 

 from which it was argued that the plant 

 must be a specific for lung diseases. In 

 England, where the Mullen is known as 

 Blanket Leaf, the dried leaf is tied around 

 the throat in cases of colds. It is believed 

 that the leaf sets up a mild irritation which 

 will be beneficial. The dried stalks of the 

 plants were often used for torches at fu- 

 nerals which gave rise to the names High 

 or Hedge Torch. The Great Mullen 

 varies in height from two to seven feet. 

 The stem is stout, very woolly, with 

 branching hairs. The oblong, pale green, 

 velvety leaves form a rosette on the 

 ground or alternately clasp the stem. The 

 flowers, which are about an inch in 

 diameter, are clustered around a thick, 

 dense spike, and have two long and three 

 short stamens, so arranged as to materi- 

 ally assist the process of cross fertiliza- 

 tion which is largely carried on by bees. 

 It is interesting to note in connection with 

 the thick woolly covering of the plant 



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