Verbascum thapsus L.
Common mullein
Kingdom Plantae Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division Magnoliophyta Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass Asteridae A large class that encompasses asters
Order Lamiales Aromatic herbs and shrubs, including lavender, lilac, olive, jasmine, ash, teak, snapdragon, sesame, psyllium, garden sage, mint, basil, and rosemary
Family Scrophulariaceae The figwort family (named for the resemblence of root nodes of some species to tubercular human lymph nodes, or scrophula)
Genus Verbascum A corruption of the Latin Barbascum, the name for these plants
Species thapsus “Of or from Thapsus,” (now Tunisia)
About plant names...
Common mullein is a native of Europe, Africa, and Asia; it was introduced to
the Americas in the mid-1700s, and to Australia. At least in America, it spreads quickly,
displacing local species, and is considered an invasive plant.
Identification: Common mullein goes through a two-year
growth cycle. In the first year, the plant has low-growing rosettes of leaves (photo 21 ).
Leaves are bluish-grayish and soft with tiny hairs. In the second year, it shoots upward, producing
a single, erect flower stalk covered with tiny yellow flowers about ¼″ (6.3 mm) across. Each flower has five
petals. Leaves along the stalk are wide at the bottom and tapering toward the top, giving the plant
a cone-shaped appearance. Dead stalks persist for
some time.
Medical: At various points in the past, mullein has been
used for the contradictory-appearing uses of a fish poison, a "respiratory stimulant," a cough medicine, a cure for diarrhea, and
an insecticide for developing mosquitoes.
Online References:
Wikipedia
The Plant Conservation Alliance’s Alien Plant Working Group Least Wanted List
Illinois Wildflowers
The Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site
The Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide
Invasive.org, Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
Wildflowers, Ferns & Trees of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah
The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database
EFloras
1 · 7/27/2016 · State Arboretum of Virginia, Boyce, Virginia
2 · 8/28/2014 · Eagle Nest Lake, Eagle Nest, New Mexico · By Susan M. Kent
3 · 5/6/2011 · Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Chester, Maryland
4 · 8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 10 × 15″ (25 × 37 cm)
5 · 9/11/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 5″ (9.2 × 13 cm)
6 · 8/28/2014 · Eagle Nest Lake, Eagle Nest, New Mexico
7 · 7/20/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, East Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 16 cm)
8 · 9/3/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Ayer, Massachusetts
9 · 8/5/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, East Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 20 cm)
10 · 8/28/2014 · Eagle Nest Lake, Eagle Nest, New Mexico · By Susan M. Kent
11 · 8/7/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (9.8 × 6.6 cm)
12 · 9/14/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
Verbascum thapsus description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 11 Jul 2023.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
14 · 7/22/2021 · Mitchell Field, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 7 × 10″ (16 × 25 cm)
15 · 8/4/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts
16 · 5/19/2016 · Bemis Road Trails, Pepperell, Massachusetts
17 · 8/4/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (6.2 × 9.3 cm)
18 · 8/30/2014 · New Mexico
19 · 6/29/2023 · Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
20 · 9/14/2009 · Near Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts
21 · 4/6/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (52 × 34 cm)
22 · 8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 1½ × 1′ (47 × 31 cm)
23 · 8/29/2007 · Hagelstein Park, Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon
24 · During the first year of growth, the leaves remain close to the ground. · 4/15/1979 · Virginia · By Tim Chandler
25 · 7/3/2005 · Bedford, New Hampshire
Range:
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