Verbascum blattaria

Annuals or biennials. Stems 60–150 cm, glabrous or glabrate. 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. 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. Pedicels free or adnate to rachis at base, 5–11(–15) mm; bracteoles 0. 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. Capsules subglobular, 5–8 mm, sparsely stipitate-glandular apically. 2n = 18, 30, 32.

Phenology: Flowering May–Jul(–Oct).
Habitat: Stream banks, lake edges, ditches, dry hills, railroad rights-of-way, orchards, prairies, open oak woods, rocky meadows, roadsides, fields, disturbed sites.
Elevation: 0–1300 m.

B.C., N.B., Ont., Que., Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Europe, Asia, introduced also in Pacific Islands (Hawaii, New Zealand), Australia.

Discussion

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

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa