734 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



large, lilac-purple flowers collected in ample racemes. Many of the Rocky 

 Mountain forms are handsome perennials. The Mexican Russellia juncea is a 

 showy bedding and greenhouse plant with carmine flowers and leaves reduced 

 to scales. The painted cup (^Castilleia coccinea) is a pretty species, native of 

 the northern states. The roots of most species are parasitic. The common 

 lousewort {Pedicularis canadensis) is an early spring blooming plant of north- 

 ern prairies. P. groenlandica of Europe, is found in the colder regions of 

 North America also and has handsome purple flowers borne in spikes. The 

 flowers of Lyperia atropurpttrea or Cape Saffron resemble true saffron very 

 greatly in odor, taste and drying qualities. 



Vanquelin isolated the glucoside gratiolin C^^^fi^^ from Gratiola of- 

 ficinalis. This species is poisonous to stock ; strong medicinal doses are poison- 

 ous to man as well. Some species, according to Maiden, are often poisonous to 

 stock in Australia. The cow wheat of Europe (Melampynim arvense) causes 

 colic and sleepiness. 



Genera of Scrophttlariaceae 



Flowers regular or nearly so. 



Flowers racemose, stamens 5 '. . . . 1. Verbascum 



Flowers axillary or racemose, stamens 2 2. Veronica 



Flowers irregular. 



Stamens 4 not in pairs. 



Corolla spurred 2. Linaria 



Corolla not spurred. 



Tubular 3. Digitalis 



Bell-shaped 4. Gerardia 



Stamens in pairs 5. Pedicularis 



1. Verbascum (Tourn.) L. Mullein 



Biennial or perennial, generally tall herbs with alternate leaves; flowers in 

 spikes, racemes or panicles; calyx S-parted; corolla flat with S broad rounded 

 or slightly unequal divisions; stamens S, inserted on the base of the corolla, 

 unequal; filaments of all of the stamens woolly or only the 3 upper; style 

 flattened at the apex; fruit a capsule, 2-valved; seeds rough. 



About 125 Old World species. Several naturalized in North America. 



Verbascum Thapsus L. Common Mullein 

 A tall, densely woolly annual from 2-6 feet high; leaves oblong, thick, 

 covered with branched hairs, the basal leaves margined petioled ; flowers in 

 long dense spikes; corolla rotate, yellow or rarely white; stamens unequal, the 

 3 upper shorter, woolly with short anthers ; the 2 lower smooth with large 

 anthers. 



Distribution. From Nova Scotia north across the continent; south to 

 Missouri and Kansas and west to Utah. 



Verbascum Blattaria L. Moth Mullein 

 Stem round, sparingly branched, biennial with smooth leaves, the lower 

 petioled, oblong, ovate, lanceolate, laciniate, serrate, upper clasping; flowers in 

 loose racemes, yellow or white with a tinge of purple; all the stamens bearded 

 with violet hairs; capsule nearly globose; numerous seeds. 



Distribution. Common eastward, rarely in the Mississippi Valley. Abund- 

 ant in the west in Salt Lake basin. 



