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molène blattaire, moth mullein

molène en baguette, twiggy mullein, wand mullein

Habit Annuals or biennials. Biennials.
Stems

60–150 cm, glabrous or glabrate.

50–100 cm, densely stipitate-glandular, sometimes also sparsely hirsute-villous.

Leaves

surfaces glabrous or glabrate;

basal and proximal cauline with petiole 1–2 mm;

blade obovate to oblanceolate, oblong, or oblong-lanceolate, 4–12(–20) × 1.5–5 cm, base subrounded to broadly cuneate;

cauline subclasping, gradually smaller distally, base not decurrent, margins coarsely and regularly crenate-dentate to dentate or pinnately dentate-lobed, apex of distal cauline and floral bracts acute.

surfaces densely stipitate-glandular, sometimes also sparsely hirsute-villous;

basal and proximal cauline with petiole 1–2 mm;

blade elliptic to elliptic-obovate, 8–20(–30) × 2.5–8(–15) cm, base subrounded to broadly cuneate;

cauline not clasping, gradually smaller distally, base not decurrent, margins coarsely crenate to crenulate, apex of distal cauline and floral bracts acute to obtuse.

Inflorescences

unbranched, rarely branched from proximal nodes, narrowly cylindric, flowers remote, solitary in axils at least distally;

rachis stipitate-glandular, without other vestiture;

bracts ovate to lanceolate-ovate, 7–10(–15) mm, base decurrent, apex acute to short-acuminate, stipitate-glandular.

unbranched, narrowly cylindric, flowers remote, solitary in axils at least distally, sometimes 1(–5) at proximal nodes;

rachis densely stipitate-glandular, sometimes also sparsely hirsute-villous with simple hairs;

bracts linear-lanceolate, 8–20 mm, base not decurrent, apex long-acuminate, densely stipitate-glandular, sometimes also sparsely hirsute-villous with simple hairs.

Pedicels

free or adnate to rachis at base, 5–11(–15) mm;

bracteoles 0.

free, (0–)1–3 mm;

bracteoles 2.

Flowers

calyx 5–7 mm, stipitate-glandular, lobes linear-lanceolate to narrowly oblong;

corolla purple in bud, becoming yellow, yellow-orange, yellow with purple center, white, cream with red-tinged tips, or pink, 25–35 mm diam., pellucid glands absent or relatively few;

proximal filaments hairy, hairs purple, distal pair villous, hairs white and purple or violet;

stigma spatulate, base decurrent.

calyx 4–9 mm, densely stipitate-glandular, sometimes also sparsely hirsute-villous with simple hairs, lobes ovate-lanceolate to triangular or narrowly lanceolate;

corolla yellow, (25–)30–40 mm diam., pellucid glands absent or relatively few;

proximal filaments glabrous at least distally, distal pair villous, hairs purplish to violet or whitish;

stigma capitate.

Capsules

subglobular, 5–8 mm, sparsely stipitate-glandular apically.

ovoid-globular to subglobular, 6–10 mm, stipitate-glandular.

2n

= 18, 30, 32.

Verbascum blattaria

Verbascum virgatum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul(–Oct). Flowering Apr–Jun(–Oct).
Habitat Stream banks, lake edges, ditches, dry hills, railroad rights-of-way, orchards, prairies, open oak woods, rocky meadows, roadsides, fields, disturbed sites. Fields, roadsides, disturbed sites.
Elevation 0–1300 m. (0–4300 ft.) 10–2000 m. (0–6600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MO; MS; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; NB; ON; QC; Europe; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AZ; CA; FL; GA; ID; IL; IN; LA; NC; NM; NV; NY; OH; PA; SC; TX; UT; BC; NS; ON; QC; Europe; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Coahuila), South America (Argentina, Chile), s Asia (India), Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Verbascum ×pterocaulon Franchet is a hybrid between V. blattaria and V. thapsus.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The occurrence of Verbascum virgatum in Nova Scotia may be historic; Ruth collected specimens from 1940 through 1960 from East Chester, Sydney, and Wolfville; it apparently has not been seen there subsequently. It also may be historic in British Columbia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 17, p. 346. FNA vol. 17, p. 347.
Parent taxa Scrophulariaceae > Verbascum Scrophulariaceae > Verbascum
Sibling taxa
V. bombyciferum, V. densiflorum, V. lychnitis, V. nigrum, V. phlomoides, V. phoeniceum, V. pulverulentum, V. sinuatum, V. speciosum, V. thapsus, V. virgatum
V. blattaria, V. bombyciferum, V. densiflorum, V. lychnitis, V. nigrum, V. phlomoides, V. phoeniceum, V. pulverulentum, V. sinuatum, V. speciosum, V. thapsus
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 178. (1753) Stokes: in W. Withering, Bot. Arr. Brit. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 227. (1787)
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