112 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
from Thapsus in Africa, near which place it is said to have formerly abounded. It is 
one of the many herbs said to poison, or rather to stupefy fish. According to 
Alexander Trallianus, its ashes made into a soap will restore hair which has become 
grey, to its original colour. 
SPECIES II.— VERB AS CUM PULVERULENTUM. Vill. 
Plate DCCCCXXXVIII. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XX. Tab. MDCLXVII. 
V. floccosum, Waldst. & Kit. Koch, Syn. Fl. Germ, et Helv. ed. ii p. 588. Reich. fil. I.e. 
Stem round, paniculately branched, with the branches spreading 
and curving upwards. Radical leaves obovate or oblanceolate, gra- 
dually contracted into short petioles, obtuse or subacute ; lower stem- 
leaves similar, the others oval or roundish, sessile, not decurrent, 
acuminate or cuspidate, entire or crenate. Flowers shortly stalked 
and subsessile, in fascicles arranged in a somewhat interrupted 
spikelike raceme at the termination of the stem and branches, the 
whole forming a wide lax pyramidal panicle. Longest pedicels 
almost as long as the calyx when in flower. Limb of the corolla 
flat, five or six times as long as the tube. Stamens with all the 
filaments clothed with white ivoolly hairs, and with uniform 
rcniform transverse anthers. Stigma capitate. Capsule small, 
longer than the small calyx-segments. Whole plant densely felted 
with greyish-white very minute stellate hairs, loosely attached to 
the plant, and easily rubbed off in flakes, very dense on the calyx 
and base of the pedicels. 
In waste places, borders of fields, and roadsides. Local. 
Plentiful round Norwich, but not known to occur, except in the 
counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. Said to be found in the den of 
Cullen, in Scotland; but if so, doubtless introduced there. 
England, Scotland. Biennial. Late Summer 
and Autumn. 
Stem stout, 18 inches to 5 feet high, much branched. Radical 
leaves G inches to 1 foot long, stalked, resembling those of V. 
Thapsus, but not so white above when young, and with the stel- 
late hairs much shorter and more easily rubbed off; stem-leaves 
numerous, even the upper ones not decurrent, though semi- 
amplexicaul ; intermediate ones very shortly stalked, generally 
remarkably acuminate, at length sub-glabrous above, with irregular 
patches of very minute felted stellate hairs. Bracts at the base of 
the clusters of flowers linear-lanceolate, minute. Flowers bright- 
yellow, j inch across, with the limb much flatter than in V. Thapsus. 
Stamens orange - scarlet with white hairs; none of the anthers 
