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
Introduced; 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.