224 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



Corolla tubular witli a spur at th.:; basa. Pol oponiug by holos. 2. Lixaria. 

 Corolla tubular, not spurred. Calyx lobes thick aud leathery. 



Stamens 4. Trees. 3. Paulowxia. 

 § 2. Lower lip or the lateral lobes covering the upper lip in the bud. 

 Corolla tubular, open ; the border slightly 5-lobed. Flowers in a 



long raceme. 4. Digitalis. 



Corolla wheel-shaped, 4 parted. Stamens 2. 5. Veronica. 



1. YEEBAS'OUM, L. Mullein. 



[Quasi Barhasaim ; Latin Barba, beard ; from its bearded or woolly habit.] 



Calyx 5-parted. Corolla witli a very short tube ; limb sub-rotate, 5-lobed 

 — the lobes nearly equal or the front one larger. Stamens 5, unequal, 

 inserted on the tube of the corolla, deciiuate, exserted, — the filaments 

 (or some of them) bearded. Capsule ovoid or globose. Seeds numerous, 

 rugose-pitted. Tall and usually woolly biennial herhs, with alternate 

 leaves, those of the stem sessile or decurreut. Flowers in dense spikes, 

 or paniculate racemes. 



1. V. Thap'sus, L. Stem simple, erect, tomeutose ; leaves oval-lanceo- 

 late or olilong, very woolly on b3th sides, — the cauline ones decurrent ; 

 flowers in a dense terminal spike ; 2 lower filaments smooth. 

 Thapsus Yerbascum. Mullein. Common Mullein. 



Fr. Bouillon blanc. Germ. Das Wollkraut. Span. Gordolobo. 



Whole plant pale greyish-green or hoary tomentose, — the pubescence much branched. 

 Stem 3-Q {Qet high, rather stout, leaf}^, rarely branching unless injured. Radical leaves 

 6 -12 inches long, — the cauhue ones smaller. 5^ifee cylindric, 6-12 or 15 inches long; 

 flowers bracteate. Corolla bright yellow. SLamsns unequal, — the two lower ones longer, 

 with smooth filaments. 



Neglected fields; road-sides, &;c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June -July, 

 Fr. August -September. 



06.5. This plant, although abundant in all the older settlements, is 

 undoubtedly a naturalized foreigner. It is a worthless, unseemly intru- 

 der, in our pastures and cultivated grounds. There is no surer evidence 

 of a slovenly, negligent farmer, than to see his fields over-run with Mul- 

 leins. As the plant produces a vast number of seeds, it can only be 

 kept in subjection by a careful eradication while young — or at least be- 

 fore the fruit is mature. When neglected, the soil soon becomes so full 

 of seeds, that the young plants will be found springing up, in great 

 numbers, for a long succession of years. 



2. V. Blatta'ria, L. Smoothish and green ; stem rather slender, often 

 branched ; leaves oblong, serrate, not decurrent ; flowers racemose ; fila- 

 ments all hairy. 



Moth YERBAscuii. Moth Mullein. 



tS'i'm 2-4 feet high, angular. Leaves 2-b inches long, — the fewer ones petiolate, often' 

 sinuate pinnatifld, the upper ones sessile and clasping. Raceme 6-18 inches long, leafy or 

 bracteate, glandular pubescent ; psiiceh % an inch to an inch in length ; flowers either 

 bright yellow or white with a ting3 of purple. 



Pastures and road-sides. Native of Europe. June -August. 



Ohs. A common weed, though not so much of a nuisance as th'^ pre- 

 ceding. Besides the two species described above, a third, V. Lychni'tis, 

 L., or White ]\[ullein, is found in some localities It is a tall plant with 



