Verbascum thapsus |
Verbascum nigrum |
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common mullein, cowboy toilet paper, flannel mullein, flannel plant, grande molène, great mullein, woolly mullein |
black mullein, dark mullein |
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Habit | Perennials. | |
Stems | 50–120 cm, sparsely tomentose to glabrate, glabrescent, eglandular. |
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Leaves | surfaces sparsely tomentose to glabrate, abaxial soon glabrescent, sometimes both glabrate, eglandular; basal and proximal cauline with petiole 5–15(–20) mm; blade lanceolate to ovate or oblong, 12–30 × 5–12(–15) cm, base shallowly cordate to nearly truncate; cauline not clasping or distal ones clasping, gradually smaller distally, base not decurrent, margins crenate, apex of distal cauline and floral bracts acute. |
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Inflorescences | unbranched, sometimes branched from proximal nodes, narrowly conic panicle, flowers loosely overlapping, in clusters of 5–10; rachis sparsely tomentose to glabrate, glabrescent, thinly tomentose on abaxial leaf surfaces, not completely obscuring epidermis, sometimes glabrate on both surfaces, eglandular; bracts linear, 4–7(–15) mm, base not decurrent, apex acute, sparsely tomentose to glabrate, glabrescent, thinly tomentose on abaxial leaf surfaces, not completely obscuring epidermis, sometimes glabrate on both surfaces, eglandular. |
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Pedicels | free, 5–12(–15) mm; bracteoles 2. |
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Flowers | calyx 3–4.5 mm, sparsely tomentose to glabrate, glabrescent, thinly tomentose on abaxial leaf surfaces, not completely obscuring epidermis, sometimes glabrate on both surfaces, eglandular, lobes linear-oblong to linear-lanceolate; corolla yellow to cream, 18–25 mm diam., pellucid glands relatively numerous; filaments villous, hairs purple to violet; stigma capitate. |
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Capsules | ovoid-ellipsoid to ellipsoid-obovoid, 4–5 mm, tomentose. |
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Verbascum thapsus |
Verbascum nigrum |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. | |
Habitat | Fields, roadsides, disturbed sites. | |
Elevation | 100–300(–700) m. (300–1000(–2300) ft.) | |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; 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; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Europe [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America, Asia, Pacific Islands, Australia]
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IL; MA; MN; NH; NJ; PA; WI; AB; ON; SK; Europe; Asia [Introduced in North America] |
Discussion | Subspecies 3 (1 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Verbascum nigrum is recognized by its petiolate, basally cordate to truncate basal leaves, bicolored or dark on both surfaces, dark-colored stems, usually unbranched inflorescences, relatively small flowers, and narrow calyx lobes. Plants in the flora area appear to be subsp. nigrum, with a mostly unbranched inflorescence; subsp. abietinum (Borbás) I. K. Ferguson, found in Germany, has freely branched inflorescences. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 17, p. 347. | FNA vol. 17, p. 350. |
Parent taxa | Scrophulariaceae > Verbascum | Scrophulariaceae > Verbascum |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 177. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 178. (1753) |
Web links |
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