﻿VERB A'S CUM* * * * § . 



Linnean Class and Order. PENTA'NDUiAf, Monogy'nia. 



Natural Order. Sola'ne/E, Jass. Gen. PI. p. 124.— Sm. Gram, 

 of Bot. p. 101. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 307. — Lindl. Syn. p. 180; In- 

 troduce to Nat. Svst. p. 231. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 435. — Loud. 

 Hort. Brit, p.527.' 



Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, small, of 1 sepal, in 5 deep, 

 upright, shar p-pointed, nearly equal segments, permanent. Corolla 

 (fig. 2.) of 1 petal, wheel-shaped, unequal ; tube cylindrical, very 

 short ; limb spreading, in 5 deep, rounded segments. Filaments 

 (fig. 3.) 5, awl-shaped, unequal, declining, almost always woolly 

 at the base, shorter than the corolla, inserted into its base. Anthers 

 kidney-shaped, compressed, bursting along the upper edge, im- 

 perfectly 2-celled. Germen (fig. 4.) superior, roundish. Style 

 (fig. 4.) thread-shaped, slightly swelling upwards, declining, rather 

 longer than the stamens. Stigma blunt. Capsule (figs. 5 & 6.) 

 egg-shaped, slightly compressed, or roundish, of 2 cells and 2 

 valves, opening at the top ; partition double, frequently incomplete. 

 Receptacle egg-shaped or globular, central, connected at each side, 

 in an early state, with the valves. Seeds numerous, very small, 

 angular, dotted, covering the receptacle. 



The wheel-shaped, irregular corolla ; 2-celled capsule ; blunt 

 stigma ; and declining stamens ; will distinguish this from other 

 genera with a monopetalous, inferior corolla, and numerous covered 

 seeds, in the same class and order. 



Six species British. 



VERBA'SCUM NIGRUM %. Dark Mullein§. Black Mullein. 



Spec. Char. Leaves oblong-heart-shaped, stalked, waved and 

 crenate, slightly downy; Stem angular; Cluster spiked, mostly 

 solitary. 



Eng. Bot. t. 59.— Hook. FI. Lond. 1. 103. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 253. — Huds. FI. 

 Anel. (2nd ed.) p. 90. — Sm. FI. Brit. v.i. p. 251. Eng. FI. v. i. p. 311. — With. 

 (7th edd v. ii. p. 313. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 328. — Lindl. Syn. p. 181. — 

 Hook. Brit. FI. p. 95. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 77. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 50. — Purt. 

 Midi. FI. v. i. p. 125.— Relh. FI. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 94. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 78.— 

 Grev. FI. Edin. p. 53.— FI. Devon, pp. 40 & 150.— Johns. FI. of Berwick, v. i. 

 p. 59. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 61. — Perry’s PI. Varvic. Select®, p. 20. — John- 

 son’s Gerarde, p. 775. — Verbascum nigrum flore parvo, apicibus purpureis, 

 Ray’s Syn. p. 288. 



Fig 1. Calyx and Pistil — Fig. 2. Corolla and Stamens. — Fig. 3. A Stamen 

 magnified, to show the bearded filament. — Fig. 4. Germen, Style, and Stigma. — 

 Fig. 5. Capsule. — Fig. 6. A Capsule cut transversely. 



* Altered from Barbascum, from Barba, a beard, in allusion to the shaggy 

 nature of the foliage in most species. Dr. Hooker. 



f See Anchusa Sempervirens, p. 48. 



t Dr. Maktyn observes, “ it is pity that Linnjeus adopted its common name 

 of nigrum or black as a trivial, because it tends to mislead, for it has nothing 

 black about it, the leaves being only dark coloured, in comparison with some 

 other species, as Thapsus, Lychnitis, and Pulverulentum ; the nap on all 

 which may be used for tinder, or to make wicks for lamps, whence the name of 

 Lychnitis to the second of the above-named species.” 



§ The English generic name Mullein had its origin from the French Mullene, 

 from the softness of the leaves. Dr. Hooker. 



