Envoy at 14:34, 22 October 2007

2007-10-22T14:34:24Z

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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = Mullein
| image = Verbascum_sinuatum.jpg
| image_width = 220px
| image_caption = Wavyleaf Mullein (''Verbascum sinuatum'')
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Lamiales]]
| familia = [[Scrophulariaceae]]
| genus = '''''Verbascum'''''
| genus_authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}

The '''Mulleins''' ('''''Verbascum''''') are a genus of about 250 species of [[flowering plant]]s in the figwort family ([[Scrophulariaceae]]). They are native to [[Europe]] and [[Asia]], with the highest species diversity in the [[Mediterranean region]].

They are [[biennial plant|biennial]] or [[perennial plant]]s, rarely [[annual plant|annuals]] or [[subshrub]]s, growing to 0.5-3 m tall. The plants first form a dense rosette of [[leaf|leaves]] at ground level, subsequently sending up a tall flowering stem. The leaves are spirally arranged, often densely hairy, though glabrous (hairless) in some species. The [[flower]]s 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 (fruit)|capsule]] containing numerous minute [[seed]]s.

;Selected species
{|
|- valign=top
|
*''[[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 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'''
*''[[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===
[[Image:Verbascum nigrum flowers closeup.jpg|thumb|Dark Mullein (''Verbascum nigrum'') flowers closeup.]]
Various species have been introduced (and in some case [[naturalisation (biology)|naturalised]]) in the [[Americas]], [[Australia]] and [[Hawaii]].

Since the year 2000 a number of new hybrid [[cultivar]]s have come out that have increased flower size with shorter heights and tend to be longer lived plants. A number have new colors for this genus. Many are raised from seed, both the short lived perennial and biennial types. In the landscape they are valued for their tall narrow stature and for flowering over a long period of time, even in dry soils.

One of the best known species is ''[[Verbascum thapsus]]'' (Great mullein), which is used as a [[herb]]al remedy for [[sore throat]], [[cough]] and [[lung]] diseases.

Mullein is also the [[active ingredient]] in many alternative smoking blends.

==References==
*[http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Verbascum&SPECIES_XREF=&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK=species Flora Europaea: ''Verbascum'']
*[http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=134474 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.

[[Category:Scrophulariaceae]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]

Mullien - Revision history

Envoy at 14:34, 22 October 2007