Verbascum lychnitis subsp. lychnitis
Biennials. Stems 50–150 cm, thinly tawny- to gray-tomentose, glabrescent, eglandular. Leaves: surfaces thinly tawny- to gray-tomentose, abaxial soon glabrescent, adaxial persistent, closely adherent, eglandular; basal leaves sessile or basally attenuate and sessile, less commonly with petiolar region 10–50 mm, cauline sessile; blade obovate to elliptic-obovate, (8–)10–15(–30) × 3–7(–11) cm, base attenuate; cauline not clasping or slightly so, gradually smaller distally, base not decurrent, margins coarsely to shallowly crenate-serrate or subentire, apex of distal cauline and floral bracts long-acuminate. Inflorescences freely branched, loosely conic to broadly cylindric, elliptic, or ovate panicle, flowers loosely overlapping, sometimes barely remote, in clusters of 2–5; rachis thinly tawny- to gray-tomentose, glabrescent, persistent and closely adherent on abaxial leaf surfaces, not completely obscuring epidermis, eglandular; bracts linear to narrowly lanceolate, 8–15 mm, base not decurrent, apex acute, thinly tawny- to gray-tomentose, glabrescent, persistent and closely adherent on abaxial leaf surfaces, not completely obscuring epidermis, eglandular. Pedicels free, 6–11 mm; bracteoles 2. Flowers: calyx 2.5–4 mm, thinly tawny- to gray-tomentose, glabrescent, persistent and closely adherent on abaxial leaf surfaces, not completely obscuring epidermis, eglandular, lobes lanceolate; corolla white, sometimes yellowish, 12–20 mm diam., pellucid glands absent; filaments villous, hairs yellow to whitish; stigma capitate. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, 4–5 mm, tomentose. 2n = 32, 34.
Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Sandy fields, vacant lots, roadsides, disturbed sites.
Elevation: 50–300 m.
Distribution
Ont., Colo., Conn., Del., Iowa, Md., Mass., Mich., Mo., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Pa., R.I., Vt., Va., W.Va., Europe, Asia.
Discussion
J. K. Small (1933) listed Verbascum lychnitis (without further taxonomic restriction) as occurring in North Carolina, but no specimen has yet been located.
Verbascum ×spurium W. D. J. Koch is a hybrid between V. lychnitis and V. thapsus.
Selected References
None.