25 



country as a troublesome weed in fields and pastures, waste places, 

 and along roadsides from Maine to Minnesota and southward, and it is 

 also spreading in the far Western States. It produces great quantities 

 of seed. and. if allowed to persist, will soon stock the ground with 

 seeds which may retain their 

 vitality and germinate at inter- 

 vals for a number of years. 



Description. — Mullein can be 

 easily recognized by its tall, 

 erect habit of growth, the white- 

 woolly or felty appearance of the 

 entire plant, and its spike of gold- 

 en-yellow flowers. It is a bien- 

 nial belonging to the fig-wort 

 family I Scrophulariaceae). 



This plant has a stout, straight 

 stem, which sometimes grows as 

 tall as 7 feet. The stem and also 

 the leaves are densely hairy, the 

 latter alternate, sessile (stem- 



— '. their margins extending in 

 wing- along down the stem. 

 The rather thick, rough leaves 

 are from 4 to 12 inches in length. 

 oblong, acute, and densely hairy 

 above and below. 



In the first year of Its growth 

 only a rosette oi downy leaves is 

 produced, hut during the second 

 year the flower stalk with its 

 densely flowered spike appears. 

 The golden-yellow flowers are 

 produced from June to August. 



Parts used. As the leaves and 

 Howe]-- are t<> be collected at the 

 time when. the plant is in bloom, 

 the propagation of the plant by 

 the dissemination of its seed is 

 prevented. The leaves are cured 

 in the usual manner. They are 



Fig. 14.— Mullein < Verbascum thapms L.). 



practically inodorous, and have a somewhat bitter, mucilaginous taste. 



it i- very desirable to have the flowers retain their bright yellow 



color; they must therefore be thoroughly dried, and then kept free from 



moisture in well-stoppered bottles. They readily absorb moisture and 



