The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

moth mullein

Habit Taprooted biennial, producing a rosette of basal leaves the first year, and the second year a single, upright stem 4-15 dm. tall, which is glabrous below and with stalked glands in the inflorescence.
Leaves

Basal leaves broadly oblanceolate, 5-15 cm. long and 1-3 cm. wide, tapering to a short petiole, toothed and often lobed;

cauline leaves alternate, numerous, reduced upward, becoming sessile and clasping, toothed but not lobed.

Flowers

Inflorescence an open, elongate raceme;

pedicels 8-15 mm. long, much surpassing the lanceolate bracts;

calyx of 5 sepals;

corolla yellow or white, 2-3 cm. long, slightly irregular, 5-lobed;

stamens 5, all fertile, the filaments covered with purple-knobbed hairs.

Fruits

Capsule ovoid-globose, 6-8 mm. high.

Verbascum blattaria

Verbascum speciosum

Flowering time May-September
Habitat Roadsides, fields, ditches, meadows, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas, often where dry.
Distribution
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from Eurasia
Conservation status Not of concern
Sibling taxa
V. bombyciferum, V. densiflorum, V. thapsus, V. virgatum
V. blattaria, V. bombyciferum, V. densiflorum, V. thapsus, V. virgatum
Web links