BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
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villages, particularly in dry places. It is an annual, and it flowers in July. It is sticky to the touch when 
gathered, and has a most unpleasant smell. When taken carelessly it is a deadly poison, but it is used in 
medicine. The flowers are of a pale yellow delicately veined with brown, and are ornamental. The name of 
Hyoscyamus is derived from two Greek words signifying Hog’s-bean. 
GENUS III. 
THE MULLEIN. (Verbascum, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. PENTANDllIA MONOGYN1A. 
Generic Character. —Calyx five-parted. Corolla rotate, five-lobed, unequal. Stamens five, unequal; filaments declinate, almost always 
villous at the base. Capsule with two valves, ovate, or globose. (Dec.) 
Description, &c. —-This genus is a very extensive one, but the plants resemble each other so much as 
scarcely to need any separate description. The name of Verbascum is said to be altered from Barbascum, from 
barba a beard, in allusion to the shaggy nature of the foliage, or from the bearded stamens. 
1.—THE GREAT MULLEIN, OR SHEPHERD’S-CLUB. (Verbascum Tiiafsus, Lin.) 
Synonymes. —Hag’s Taper ; High Taper ; Flannel Plant; Cow’s J Specific Character. —Leaves decurrent, crenate, woolly on both 
Lungwort; Murrein Grass. [ sides. Stem simple. Cluster dense. Flowers almost sessile. (Smith.) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 549 ; 2nd ed., t. 309. 
Description, &c. —This well-known plant was formerly in high estimation for its various qualities in 
medicine, and it is still thought efficacious in diseases of the lungs, particularly for cattle. It is also said to 
have been used by witches in their incantations, and hence its popular name of Hag’s Taper. It is found 
abundantly on waste ground in every part of Great Britain, but it is most common in gravelly or calcareous soils. 
It is a biennial, and it flowers in July and August. It is called flannel plant, from the feel of its leaves. 
THE WHITE MULLEIN (V. Lychnitis, Lin.) 
This species is only found in chalky soil; and it is remarkable for its large, branching, erect racemes of very 
pale yellow or cream-coloured flowers, which appear in July and August, as do those of all the other species. 
THE HYBRID MULLEIN. (V. thapsiforme, Schrad.) 
■ This is supposed to be a cross between the Great Mullein and the White Mullein, as it was first found in 
1761, in a bed of those plants. 
THE HOARY MULLEIN. (V. pulveruuentum, Villars.) 
The flowers of this species are of a brilliant yellow, and the leaves are covered with a white mealy down. 
When the flower-stem is struck sharply, the petals of the flowers will all fall off together, and the calyx will 
close over the pistil. The mealy down on the leaves (which are often a foot long) is easily displaced with the 
finger, and, when examined with a microscope, it is found to consist of a great number of starry tufts, curiously 
entangled together, 
THE BLA@K MULLEIN. (V. nigrum, Lin.) 
This species is seldom found in Scotland. It is a perennial, with yellow flowers, and very dark-green leaves, 
which sometimes look almost black ; and hence the specific name of the species. 
