UW Burke Herbarium species comparison

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Verbascum thapsus

Verbascum blattaria

flannel mullein, great mullein

moth mullein
Habit Coarse, taprooted biennial, producing a rosette of basal leaves the first year, and a single, erect stem 0.4-2 m. tall the second year, the entire plant covered with white-woolly, branched hairs. 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, 1-4 dm. long and 4-12 cm. wide, tapered to a long petiole, nearly entire;

cauline leaves alternate, numerous, reduced upward, becoming sessile and clasping.

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 a dense, elongate spike;

calyx of 5 sepals;

corolla usually yellow, slightly irregular, 5 lobed, 1-2 cm. wide;

stamens 5, all fertile, the upper 3 filaments densely yellow-hairy, the lower 2 glabrous and longer.

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 broadly ovoid, 7-10 mm. long.

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

Verbascum thapsus

Verbascum blattaria
Flowering time June-September May-September
Habitat Fields, roadsides, wastelots, disturbed forest edge, thickets, and other disturbed open areas. Roadsides, fields, ditches, meadows, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas, often where dry.
Distribution
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Atlantic Coast.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from Eurasia Introduced from Eurasia
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
V. blattaria, V. bombyciferum, V. densiflorum, V. virgatum
V. bombyciferum, V. densiflorum, V. thapsus, V. virgatum
Subordinate taxa
V. thapsus ssp. thapsus
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the University of Washington's Burke Herbarium.



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