Mullein

Mullein
Wavyleaf Mullein (Verbascum sinuatum)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Scrophulariaceae
Tribe:	Scrophularieae
Genus:	Verbascum L.
Species
See text

The Mulleins (sg.  /ˈmʌlɨn/,^[1] genus Verbascum, /vɜrˈbæskəm/;^[2] also known as velvet plants) are a genus of about 250 species of flowering plants in the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). They are native to Europe and Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean region.

They are biennial or perennial plants, rarely annuals or subshrubs, growing to 0.5–3 m tall. The plants first form a dense rosette of leaves at ground level, subsequently sending up a tall flowering stem. Biennial plants will form the rosette the first year, and during the following season is when the stem emerges. The leaves are spirally arranged, often densely hairy, though glabrous (hairless) in some species. The flowers have five symmetrical petals; petal colours in different species include yellow (most common), orange, red-brown, purple, blue or white. The fruit is a capsule containing numerous minute seeds.

Selected species

Verbascum acaule (Bory & Chaub.) Kuntze Verbascum adeliae Heldr. Verbascum adenanthum Bornm. Verbascum adrianopolitanum Podp. Verbascum anisophylum Murb. Verbascum arcturus L. Verbascum argenteum Ten. Verbascum baldaccii Degen Verbascum banaticum Schrad. Verbascum barnadesii Vahl Verbascum bithynicum Boiss. Verbascum blattaria L. – Moth mullein Verbascum boerhavii L. Verbascum boissieri (Heldr. & Sart.) Kuntze Verbascum botuliforme Murb. Verbascum bombyciferum Boiss. Verbascum bugulifolium Lam. Verbascum chaixii Vill. – Nettle-leaved mullein Verbascum charidemii Murb. Verbascum chinense (L.) Santapau Verbascum chrysanthum Murb. Verbascum creticum (L.) Cav. Verbascum cylindrocarpum Griseb. Verbascum cyleneum (Boiss. & Heldr.) Kuntze Verbascum daenzeri (Fauché & Chaub.) Kuntze Verbascum davidoffii Murb. Verbascum decorum Velen. Verbascum delphicum Boiss. & Heldr. Verbascum densiflorum Bertol. Verbascum dentifolium Delile Verbascum dieckianum Borbás & Degen Verbascum dimoniei Velen. Verbascum dingleri Mattf. & Stef. Verbascum dumulosum P.H.Davis Verbascum durmitoreum Rohlena Verbascum epixanthinum Boiss. & Heldr. Verbascum eriophorum Godr. Verbascum euboicum Murb. & Rech.f. Verbascum foetidum Boiss. & Heldr. Verbascum formosum Fisch. ex Schrank Verbascum friedrichsthalianum Kuntze Verbascum georgicum Benth. Verbascum glabratum Friv. Verbascum glandulosum Delile Verbascum gnaphalodes M.Bieb. Verbascum graecum Heldr. & Sart. ex Boiss. Verbascum guicciardii Heldr. ex Boiss. Verbascum halacsyanum Sint. & Bornm. ex Halácsy Verbascum haussknechtii Heldr. ex Hausskn. Verbascum hervieri Degen Verbascum herzogii Bornm. Verbascum humile Janka Verbascum hypoleucum Boiss. & Heldr. Verbascum jankaeanum Pancic Verbascum laciniatum (Poir.) Kuntze

Verbascum lagurus Fisch. & C.A.Mey. Verbascum lanatum Schrad. Verbascum lasianthum Boiss. ex Benth. Verbascum leianthum Benth. Verbascum leucophylum Griseb. Verbascum levanticum I.K.Ferguson Verbascum litigiosum Samp. Verbascum longifolium Ten. Verbascum longirostris (Murb.) Huber-Morath Verbascum lychnitis L. – White mullein Verbascum macedonicum Kosanin & Murb. Verbascum macrurum Ten. Verbascum malophorum Boiss. & Heldr. Verbascum mucronatum Lam. Verbascum nevadense Boiss. Verbascum nicolai Rohlena Verbascum nigrum L. – Dark mullein Verbascum niveum Ten. Verbascum nobile Velen. Verbascum gypsicola Vural & Aydoğdu Verbascum olympicum Boiss. Verbascum orientale (L.) Al. Verbascum orphanideum Murb. Verbascum ovalifolium Donn ex Sims Verbascum paniculatum Wulf. Verbascum pelium Halácsy Verbascum pentelicum Murb. Verbascum pestalozzae Murb. Verbascum phlomoides L. – Orange mullein Verbascum phoeniceum L. – Purple mullein Verbascum pinnatifidum Vahl Verbascum pseudonobile Stoj. & Stef. Verbascum pulverulentum Vill. – Hoary mullein Verbascum purpureum (Janka) Hub.-Mor. Verbascum pycnostachyum Boiss. & Heldr. Verbascum pyramidatum M.Bieb. Verbascum reiseri Halácsy Verbascum roripifolium (Halácsy) I.K.Ferguson Verbascum rotundifolium Ten. Verbascum rupestre (Davidov) I.K.Ferguson Verbascum samniticum Ten. Verbascum scardicola Bornm. Verbascum siculum Tod. ex Lojac. Verbascum sinuatum L. – Wavyleaf mullein Verbascum songaricum Schrenk Verbascum speciosum Schrad. – Showy mullein Verbascum spectabile M.Bieb. Verbascum spinosum L. Verbascum thapsus L. – Great mullein or Common mullein Verbascum undulatum Lam. Verbascum vandasii (Rohlena) Rohlena Verbascum virgatum Stokes – Twiggy mullein Verbascum viridissimum Stoj. & Stef. Verbascum widemannianum Fisch. & Mey. Verbascum xanthophoeniceum Griseb. Verbascum zuccarinii (Boiss.) I.K.Ferguson

Cultivation and uses

Dark Mullein (Verbascum nigrum) flowers closeup

Various species have been introduced (and in some case naturalised) in the Americas, Australia and Hawaii.

The plant has a long history of use as an herbal remedy,^[3] and is an effective treatment for asthma and respiratory disorders.^{[dubious – discuss]} Extracts made from the plant's flowers are a very effective treatment for ear infections.^{[citation needed]} Although this plant is a recent arrival to North America, Native Americans used the ground seeds of this plant as a paralytic fish poison due to their high levels of rotenone.^{[citation needed]} One species, Verbascum thapsus (Great mullein), is used as a herbal remedy for sore throat, cough, and lung diseases.^{[citation needed]}

In gardening and landscaping, the mulleins are valued for their tall narrow stature and for flowering over a long period of time, even in dry soils. Since the year 2000, a number of new hybrid cultivars have come out that have increased flower size, shorter heights, and a tendency to be longer-lived plants. A number have new colors for this genus. Many mulleins are raised from seed, including both the short-lived perennial and biennial types.

Mullein is the active ingredient in many alternative smoking blends.

It is considered a first-rate drill for use in the hand drill method of friction fire lighting.

References

1. ^ "mullein". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd ed. 1989.
2. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
3. ^ Tierra, Michael, C.A., O.M.D.; John Lust, N.D. (2003). The Natural Remedy Bible (revised and updated ed.). New York: Pocket Books. pp. 164,180. ISBN 0-7434-6642-X. 

• Flora Europaea: Verbascum
• Flora of China: Verbascum
• Davis, P. H., Edmondson, J. R., Mill, R. R., & Parris, B. S., eds. (1978). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 6: 461.

External links

• Texts on Wikisource:
  • "Mullein". The American Cyclopædia. 1879. 
  • "Mullein". New International Encyclopedia. 1905. 
  • "Mullein". The New Student's Reference Work. Chicago: F. E. Compton and Co. 1914. 
  • "Mullein". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. 
  • "Mullein". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921. 
• Video of various Mullein uses