Common name: Moth Mullein
Verbascum blattaria L. APNI* 
Description: Erect, mostly unbranched biennial to 0.5–1.2 m high, with glabrous below, with stalked or sessile glands above.
Leaves in the lower parts oblong to oblanceolate, lamina 8–25 cm long, 2–4 cm wide, base tapering into petiole, margins crenate-sinuate to pinnatifid, glabrous, shortly petiolate; stem leaves smaller, lanceolate, sessile, stem-clasping.
Racemes simple or few branched, 30–60 cm long; flowers solitary in the bract axils; bracts 7–8 mm long; pedicels 10–15 mm long, up to 25 mm long in fruit. Sepals 5–8 mm long. Corolla pale pink, white or yellow with purple centre, rotate, 2.5–3 cm diam., upper lobes shortest. Stamens 5; filaments densely villous, hairs of the 2 lower stamens purple, of the 3 upper white and purple; 3 upper stamens with reniform anthers, the 2 lower stamens longer, 7–9 mm long, with anthers reniform but obliquely inserted and decurrent along the filament.
Capsule globose, 7–8 mm long, finely glandular-pubescent.
Flowering: spring–summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in disturbed ground, often in pastures; widespread. Native of Eurasia.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *SWS
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas.
Text by W. R. Barker & G. J. Harden
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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