V E R B A S C U M virgatum.
Large-Jlowered Mullein.
P E N T A N D R I A Monogynia.
Gen. C har. Cor. wheel-fhaped, a little irregular.
Capf. fuperior, with a cells and a valves. Stamina
bearded.
Spec. Char. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, dentate, fef.
file ; the radical ones fomewhat lyrate, downy.
Stem branched. Flowers cluttered, nearly feffile!
Syn. Verbafcum virgatum. With. 350. Sym. Syn. 56.
Blattaria flore amplo. Ger. em. 778.
D r . STOKES firft clearly afcertained this fpecies, which
m many refpe£ts is clofely allied to V. Blattaria, t. 303 ; but
we fee no reafon to think it a variety, nor fcarcely a mule, of
that, efpecially as it is copioufly propagated by leed, and as
me Blattaria does not grow where this is found. It is biennial
flowering in September and later. Our worthy friend the Rev!
Mr. Baker took this individual plant, when a feedling, from
one of the fpots near Worcefter mentioned in Withering, and
£ j 0urred m his Sarden- He informs us this Mullein was
hrlt oblerved growing plentifully in a field near Wrexham, by
-5 w^° planted it in her garden at Bevere, from whence
probably its feeds got to the neighbouring turnpike-road to
Omberfley, and from thence to the lane leading to Gregory’s
mill. 0 1
The root is thick, branched. Whole plant much larger
and ftronger than the Blattaria, clothed generally all over,
and the lower leaves conftantly, with lhort, prominent, often
forked, glandular hairs. Stem 5 or 6 feet high, branched
from the bottom, leafy, round, but fomewhat angular or winged ■
from the leaves running down it. Radical leaves refembhng
thofe of the primrofe, but larger, and more or lefs lyrate; thofe
on the Item oblong-lanceolate, doubly dentate, feffile; the upper
ones heart-fhaped long-pointed,- dentate, fefille, and in feme
degree embracing the item. Flowers axillary, cluftered, on fhort
woolly ftalks, and feme of them feffile, large, yellow, purple
about the centre, foon falling off. Segments of the calyx ovate,
larger and broader than in V. Blattaria, Stamina yellow,
bearded in the middle with purple.
Mr. Baker has obferved that the woollinefs of the Hem and
branches vanes in degree, and that weak plants have fometimes
lohtary flowers, but always on much ffiorter thicker ftalks
than the Blattaria.