Common name: Great Mullein, Aarons Rod
Verbascum thapsus L. APNI* Description: Erect biennial herb 0.5–2 m high, greyish or whitish tomentose with stellate non-glandular hairs.
Lower leaves with lamina 8–50 cm long, 2.5–14 cm wide, with lamina obovate to elliptic, margins entire or crenate, base tapering into petiole, upper leaves sessile and decurrent on stem.
Racemes simple or branched, dense, 15–100 cm long; 2–7 flowers in each bract; bracts 12–18 mm long; pedicels 1–5 mm long. Sepals 6–12 mm long. Corolla 1.5–3 cm diam., yellow; pubescent outside with numerous glandular dots. Stamens 5, unequal in length, 10–15 mm long; lowest pair of filaments (subsp. thapsus and all Aust. specimens seen) glabrous except ± villous near middle, upper 3 villous; anthers reniform; hairs on filaments colorless.
Capsule broad-ovoid, 7–10 mm long, tomentose.
Flowering: November–March
Distribution and occurrence: Naturalized in woodland and pasture and disturbed land; widespread. Native of Eurasia.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *SWP, *NFWP
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas. *S.A.
Text by W. R. Barker & G. J. Harden
Taxon concept:
| N.S.W. occurrences are: subsp. thapsus |
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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