3. Verbascum phlomoides L. (clasping mullein)

Pl. 559 i, j; Map 2608

Stems 25–130 cm long, erect or strongly ascending, circular in cross-section or bluntly polygonal, unbranched or occasionally few-branched near the tip, densely woolly or scurfy with minute, stellate, and slightly larger, branched (having an axis), nonglandular hairs, sometimes becoming glabrous in patches at maturity. Leaves appearing green to light green or grayish green, those of the basal rosettes 8–35 cm long, short-petiolate, the blade oblong-elliptic to elliptic, oblong-oblanceolate, or oblong-obovate, the margins unlobed and shallowly scalloped to bluntly toothed, grading into the stem leaves, these progressively shorter toward the stem tip, mostly finely scalloped or toothed, those toward the stem base usually short-petiolate, the others sessile, oblanceolate to elliptic or ovate, the bases variously tapered to rounded or shallowly cordate (then somewhat clasping the stem), but not decurrent, grading into the inflorescence bracts; leaf blades with the upper surface moderately stellate-hairy (often also with at least a few branched hairs), the undersurface densely woolly with stellate and branched (having an axis), nonglandular hairs, especially along the main veins. Inflorescences relatively dense spikelike racemes (occasionally appearing paniculate in branched plants), the flowers solitary or more commonly in small clusters of 2–6 at the nodes, the flower stalks 3–9 mm long, densely woolly. Calyces 5–7 mm long, the lobes lanceolate to narrowly triangular-ovate, densely stellate-hairy. Corollas 12–19 mm long, yellow, lacking reddish markings, the margins and the outer surface minutely stellate-hairy. Stamens unequal, the upper 3 with the filaments shorter, straight, densely bearded with pale yellow to nearly white hairs; the lower 2 with the filaments longer, angled downward, glabrous, the anthers orange, those of the lower pair fused laterally to the filaments for most of their length. Fruits 5–8 mm long, broadly elliptic-ovoid to broadly oblong-ovoid, densely stellate-hairy, sometimes becoming glabrous in patches. 2n=32, 34. August–September.

Introduced, uncommon, known thus far from a single historical specimen from Jackson County (native of Europe; introduced widely but sporadically in North America). Railroads.

This plant was first reported for Missouri by Yatskievych and Summers (1993). It has not been collected in the state since the initial discovery, in 1915.