Chiba University Matsudo/Kashiwa Campus Plant Database

Details of genus: Verbascum L. [1752]

genus_ja:

genus_en: Mullein

# spp.: 464

pub_year: 1753

accepted: Accepted

Family: Scrophulariaceae

family_ja: ゴマノハグサ

Infra familial classification:

distribution_en: Europe to Mongolia and Sri Lanka, N. Africa to Kenya and Arabian Peninsula

description_en: Genus of 360 species, most of which are biennials, with a few annuals, perennials, and subshrubs, some semi-evergreen or evergreen. They are found mainly on dry, stony hillsides, wasteland, and in open woodland in Europe, N. Africa, and W. and C. Asia. Usually hairy, sometimes woolly plants, they have large, alternate, simple, entire, scalloped, lobed, or toothed, soft-textured basal leaves, which often form large rosettes, and smaller, often stalkless stem leaves. Most produce one or a few tall, erect stems bearing flowers in dense spikes or racemes, but some may have flowers clustered within the rosette centres. The generally short-stemmed or stemless, outward-facing, saucer-shaped flowers are usually yellow, occasionally purple, red, brownish red, or white; each has a short tube with 5 wide-spreading lobes, and sometimes coloured filament hairs. Individual flowers are short-lived, but they are very numerous and flowering takes place over a long period. Semi-evergreen species are grown as much for their overwintering rosettes of white-woolly leaves, built up during the first year, as for their flowers. Most cultivated mulleins are hybrids. Rosette-forming and short-lived, they have ovate to oblong, mid- to greyish green leaves, and generally bear large, showy, saucer-shaped flowers, to 4cm (1 1/2in) across, in more or less branched racemes, 30-100cm (12-39in) long. Hybrids and larger species are good for growing in a large, mixed or herbaceous border or gravel bed, or for naturalizing in a wild or woodland garden. Smaller species, including V. dumulosum, V. pestallozae, and V. spinosum, are suitable for a rock garden or alpine house.

hardiness_en: Fully hardy to frost hardy.

cultivation_en:

propagation_en: Sow seed of biennials and perennials in containers in a cold frame in late spring or early summer; biennials sown at 13-18°C (55-64°F) in early spring may flower and die in their first year. Divide perennials in spring, or take root cuttings in winter. Take semi-ripe cuttings of shrubby species in late summer.

pests_en: Powdery mildew, some moth caterpillars, and figwort weevil may be a problem.

description_ja:

comment:

comment_ja: モウズイカ

type_species:

Phylogenetic definition:

Update Information: Created: 2007-12-06 12:51; Updated: 2023-09-14 09:51 by hkokubun@mac.com

family: