Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Lamiids: Lamiales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Verbascum virgatum
FAMILY
Scrophulariaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Wand Mullein at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Verbascum virgatum
FAMILY
Scrophulariaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 17 (2019)
Verbascum virgatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 166-12-002:
Verbascum virgatum FAMILY Scrophulariaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Verbascum virgatum
COMMON NAME:
Wand Mullein, Twiggy Mullein, Moth Mullein
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_953
May Calhoun County SC
Leaves may be hairy or may not [vs. leaves of V. blattaria glabrous], per www.CalFlora.net.
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_953b
May Calhoun County SC
Cauline leaves are lanceolate, crenate and sessile, per www.CalFlora.net.
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_954
May Calhoun County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_954b
May Calhoun County SC
If you see multiple flowers [fruit] per node, it is virgatum not blattaria, per www.CalFlora.net.
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_956
May Calhoun County SC
Glandular hairs dense on the leaves and on the stems, per Weakley's Flora (2015).
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_958
May Calhoun County SC
Pedicels 1-3mm long, shorter than the calyx [vs. those of V. blattaria longer], per Weakley's Flora.
COMPARE
Clasping Mullein, Moth Mullein, Wand Mullein, and Woolly Mullein
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_960
May Calhoun County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_962
May Calhoun County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_962b
May Calhoun County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm170520_963
May Calhoun County SC
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvvirgatum_moultrie1
May SC
Lake Moultrie
The fuzzy stamens resemble a moth's antennae, hence one common name, per Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995).
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvvirgatum_moultrie2
May SC
Lake Moultrie
Flowers usually 1 per node throughout inflorescence or lowermost nodes w more, per Weakley's Flora.
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Verbascum virgatum
FAMILY
Scrophulariaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Verbascum virgatum
FAMILY
Scrophulariaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 17
Verbascum virgatum
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 166-12-002:
Verbascum virgatum
FAMILY
Scrophulariaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Verbascum virgatum
2355
Forb
Biennial
Habitat: Longleaf pine sandhills, sandy disturbed areas, roadsides, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Uncommon in Coastal Plain of GA & SC (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Simple
Basal rosette & alternate
Stem leaves sessile
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Yellow
Slightly bilaterally symmetrical
5 sepals
5-parted 2-lipped rotate corolla
5 fertile exserted stamens
Superior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry (Porcher, 1995) p199
- Wildflowers of the Eastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1999) p086
- Field Guide to the Wildflowers of Georgia (Chafin, 2016) p334
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".