VERBASCUM NIGRUM. BLACK OR SAGE-LEAVED
MULLEIN.
VERBASCUM nigrum 1 fqliis oblongo-cordatis petiolatis undulato-crenatis sub-pubescentibus. Sm.
VERBASCUM nigrum. l in n .S p . PI. p. 258. Huds. A n g l p . 90. With. S o t. A r r . ed. 4. m l ' s
p. 247. (Ed. FI. Dan. t. 1088. llofifrn. Germ. ed. 2. vol. ]. P . I. p. 108. Willd.
Sp. PI. ml. l .p . 1004. Smith Fl. B r it.p . 251. Engl. Bot. t. 59. Decand FI F r
ed 3 ml. 3. p 603. 'Fl. Gall. Syn. p . 235. P e n . Syn. P I. ml. I. p. 215. Aiton
Mori. K m . ed. 2. vol. i. p. 385.
VERBASCUM foliisi imis petiolatis cordato-lanceolatis, superioribus scssilibusovalo-lanceolatis.
Hall. Hem. n. 584.
VERBASCUM nigrum flora parvo, apicibus purpureis. Sage-leaved black Mullein. R a n Syn. p. 288.
Dpt. Zwart Wollekruid. Fr. L e Bouillon-mir. Mollbne. Germ.D ie s c h tm r z i
Wollblreme. Norm Lungestok. Swed. Kattrunipa.
Class a n d Order. PEN TA N D R IA M O NOGŸNÎA.
[N atural Order; SOLÀNEÆ:, Juss. Decand.]
Gen. Char. Côrollà rotàta, irregularis; Stàminà declinatâ, bârbatâ. ' Capsula supeia, biloculàrls vâlvulis in-
flexisj polysperma; Stigma simplex.
Gen. Char. Corolla rotate, irregular; Stamens declined, bearded. Capsule superior» o f two cells with thé
valves indexed; inany-seëdëd. Stigma undivided;
Radix subfusiformis, pallide fusca, perennis:
Caulis bi- tri-pedalis, erectus, substrictus; angujatus,
striatus, vnidis, vel ex viridi-purpureus, pubes-
Folia: rad i cal ia magna, obloügo-cordata, obtusa, ve-
nosa, margine undulata, obtuse crenata; longe
petiolata ; caulina breviter petiolata, ovato-cor-
data, vel fere lanceolata, acutiuscula, obtuse
serrata ; suprema, vel bracteæ, sensim minora, I
angustiora, non raro subulata, vix serrata, sessi-
lia ; omnia saturate viridia, supra glabriuscula,
subtus margineque pubescentia.
Spica ter-minalis, longa, simplex, multiflora.
Pedunculi subfasciculafi, ex axillis foliorum süperio-
rum vel bractearum.-
Calyx pubescens, persistens, quinquefidus, se^mentis
lauceolato-subulatis.
Corolla rotata, quinquelob.a, • lobis subirregularibus,
aureo-flava, basi purpureo-fadiata.
STAMINA quinqüe, aurantiaca. Filamenta filiformia,
elegantissime purpureo-villosa, villis longis, hori- :
zontalibus.
Anthera reniformis, monolocularis, bivalvis, transver-
sim aperiens. Pollen croceum.
Germen obovatum, emarginatum, pubescens.
Stylus longus, filiformis. Stigma clavatum.
Pericarpium: Capsula ovato-rotundata, nigro-fusca,
pubescensj bilocularis, polysperma, bivalvis. Dis-
sepimentum duplicatum, ex inflexis valvarum
marginibus.
Receptaculum centrale, oblongum, spongiosum, basi
solum modo affixum.
Semina parva, subovata, scrobiculata, atro-fusca.
Albumen semini conforme, camosum, album.
Embryo rectus. Cotyledones parvæ. Radicula inféra.
R o o t somewhat spindle-shaped; pale brown; perennial»
Stem two or three feet in height; erect, nearly straight,
angular; striated; green, or greenish-purple,
downy.
Radical leaves large, between dblorig and heart-
shaped, obtuse, veiny, waved at their margins,
bluntly creuulate, upon long footstalks, the stem-
leaves upon short footstalks, between ovate and
cordate, or somewhat acutely lanceolate, obtusely
serrated; the topmost ones, or bracteas,
gradually less, more narrow, not unfrequently
subulate, somewhat serrated, Sessile; all of a
deep green, smooth above, downy at the margin
and beneath.
Spike o f flowers terminal, long, simple, many-flowered.
Peduncles somewhat fasciculated, springing from the
axils o f the superior leaves or bracteas.
Calyx downy, persistent, five-cleft, the segments lan-
ceolato-subulate.
Corolla rotate, five-lobed, the lobes slightly irregular,
of a golden yellow colour, at the base having
purple rays.
Stamens five, orange-coloured. Filaments filiform,
elegantly fringed with purple hairs, the hairs long
and horizontal.
Anther kidney-shaped, one-celled, two-valved, open-
ing transversely. Pollen croceous.
Germen obovate, emarginate, downy.
Style long, filiform. Stigma club-shaped.
Pericarp : Capsule between ovate and round, of a
blackish-brown, downy, two-celled, many-seeded,
two-valved. Dissepiment double, formed o f the
inflexed margins of the valves.
Receptacle central, oblong, spongy, fixed only bv the
Seeds small, nearly ovate, scrobiculate, blackish brown.
Albumen of the same shape as the seed, fleshy, white.
Embryo straight. Cotyledons small. Radicle inferior.
H U B i f ' r Calyx null the geimen F ,g 8. Stamen. F,g. 4. Anther bursting open,
l 1 ' M M F s ' S S h J ut,°Pe“- 7. 7. Capsules ; and fig. 8. -Seeds (pat. size). Fig. 9 Cap-
sules bursting open. F,g. 10. Single valve of a eapsule with the receptacle of the seeds. Fig. f l . Seeds
l tg. 12. Seed cut open to show the albumen and embryo.—^ / / but fig . 7 and 8 more or less magnified.
„ . J le Genus n & W y j ° " f of th,e most * ° » y » B r ita in ; the species are large and stately, whilst the flowers
" 5 p-™ally ° f “ br'Sl11 f ellow colour> f°™ied into very long and crowded spikes, resembling Golden Bods
which make a most beautiful appearance when backed by the dark green or a shrubberv. In this situation they
« " a p X C ^ S e fl’owe“ '^ r d e l T 1U™ nt’ ^ ^ “g row th renders them, more
£ : S r d ^ l m e n s .8 ^ ^
c h ^ l u ^ ' i n T how,1,able are,tl,c 1,"d‘vld"a)sIof. lhis P - P 10 »>* with one another, whence hybrids with the
chaiacters of both parents are produced. Dr. Withering mentions a KThapso-nigrum the offering of V That,.,,,
g S J f o - h a s noticed a similar production between V. n f i to n i j S S B i M I
nas observed a V. mgi o-Lychnitis which he supposes to have arisen between V. nigrum and V Turhmih In
ha°s niHiv,^ ' - 6 r ° T f nlleman furUl“ ' under th e head of V. mgro-puhevnlentum,th a t Mr. V L
^ c u ltiv a te d garden for many years Ferbascumtngrum,pulverulcntum, and B/altaria, and that the seminal
andbeauTifufb ^ nSC° j | am ° 3t every Posslble state of intermediate gradation between them are highly curious
Verhascmn is said to be derived from Barbascum, on account of the bearded or rather shaggy surface of the
S t t mOStn f ? spol;'cs' P m En«llsh appellation of Mullein has its origin most clearlWrom the French
S m e d f e £ r r SS I the leaV“ l - I s 10 the spGrcif c 1,ame' **is probably uoiouiecl foliage ot the mgrum, when compared with so many of the other British kinds taken from the d a r t
found u p in " ta r tShedge-banS’. >011’ “ d C° nti"UeS Bo"'c1' from Midsummer to Michaelmas. I t is mostly
Vide Botanist’s Guide, vol. 2. p. 602.