Figwort Family [Scrophulariaceae] |
status
flower
inner
morph
petals
type
stem
rarity
(var. album & lychnitis)
11th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Candelabra branched, and up to 1.5m tall. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Branches rise nearly vertically and kep fairly close to the main stem. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Each branch covered in a mass of whitish flowers. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
A pair of leaves grow at each branch junction. Stem is angular. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Petals and stamens both white. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
More than one flower per leaf axil. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Flowers on short stalks. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Flower symmetry not quite radially symmetric (actinomorphic), but not decidedly bi-laterally symmetric either, a bit of both, hemizygomorphic. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Each white stamen bears an orange-coloured anther. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Five petals with five stamens, each with an anther mounted perpendicularly. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Each stamen equally hairy. At the bottom is a style with a discoidal stigma. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Leaves initially hairy all over, but the uppermost hairs easily rub or wear off leaving matt green leaves. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Initially the leaves are so felty hairy as to appear white and frosted. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
The underside of the leaf showing veins and short white hairs. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Leaves on very short stalks. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
The basal rosette. |
8th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
The angular stem, with short white hairs. |
11th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Mullein Moth (Shargacullia verbasci) caterpillar [not to be confused with the flower Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria)]. It has similar, but not identical, markings and colourings to a Swallowtail caterpillar. |
11th July 2012, nr Discovery Centre, Millennium Path, Llanelli. | Photo: © Rob Howells |
Mullein Moth munching its way through a White Mullein. They strip the leaves and often leave the flowering stems a blackening stump. |
Some similarities to : Hoary Mullein (Verbascum pulverulentum) but that has yellow flowers and is also candelabra-branched. Hybridizes with :
White Mullein(Verbascum lychnitis) and any yellow flowered species are yellow. Hybrids between any species with two obliquely positioned anthers and those with straight anthers may not result in flowers with any obliquely positioned anthers. Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : There is no other white-flowered Mullein. Occurs mainly in scattered hectads in Southern England. A yellow form occurs in North Somerset. It is also a garden species that can escape.
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Verbascum | lychnitis | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Scrophulariaceae |
Verbascum (Mulleins) |
Figwort Family [Scrophulariaceae] |