Scrophulariaceae

Verbascum L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 177 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Europe to Mongolia and Sri Lanka, N. Africa to Kenya and Arabian Peninsula.

Descriptions

Scrophulariaceae, S.A. Ghazanfar, F.N. Hepper & D. Philcox. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2008

Morphology Stem
Stems erect
Morphology Leaves
Leaves cauline and alternate and in a basal rosette, toothed or sometimes pinnatifid, leaves of basal rosettes usually larger than cauline
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence racemose or spicate or often paniculate and tall
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary or fasciculate (accessory flowers of Hartl), subtended by a bract, pedicellate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx deeply 5-lobed or 5-partite, lobes ± equal, imbricate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla subrotate, tube very short, 5-lobed, lobes broad, slightly unequal, the posterior outside
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4 or 5, inserted at the base of the corolla; filaments of anterior 2 or 3 bearded or all bearded; anthers transverse or oblique, monothecal by confluence; style entire, laterally compressed, dilated at the apex
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule globose or ovoid, septicidally 2locular
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, minute, longitudinally 6–9-grooved and ridged, sometimes (not in Flora area) with a cellular network between the ridges.
Note
Verbascum, with 5 stamens, and Celsia with 4 stamens have been previously recognised as distinct genera, but it is now generally agreed that this status is untenable (see Ferguson in B.J.L.S. 64: 229 (1971) and Huber-Morath in Bauhinia 5: 7 (1973)). Fischer in Kubitzki (ed. J.W. Kadereit), Fam. & Gen. of Vasc. Pl.: vol. 7, p. 361 (2004) has followed Hartl and separated Rhabdotosperma Hartl from Verbascum on the basis of its ( Rhabdotosperma) seed endosperm morphology and accessory flowers. For the purpose of this Flora I have retained all species in the genus Verbascum, but species 3 & 4 can be referred to Rhabdotosperma. A taxonomically difficult genus, showing vast variations in some species.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
About 360 species in Europe, Asia (diversity centre in Turkey and Iran), and in north-east Africa southwards to Kenya.
Morphology General Habit
Herbs or rarely small shrubs, glandular-pubescent to densely villose, usually with branched hairs, rarelyglabrous
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate along stem and in a basal rosette, entire or pinnatifid to pinnatisect, pinnately veined
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminal, lax, cymose, with axillary cymes and usually accessory flowers or racemose, bracteoles usually present; flowers shortly to distinctly pedicellate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx deeply 5-lobed, lobes equal-Corolla yellow, rarely violet or purple, subrotate, ± actinomorphic or somewhat zygomorphic, the 2 upper lobes slightly shorter than the 3 lower ones
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4–5, equal, exserted, the median one sometimes reduced to a staminode; filaments usually villous; anthers with confluent thecae (synthecous) rounded at base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary ovoid to globose, usually densely pubescent, with straight filiform style; stigma capitate; mucronate base of style persistent in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule with septicidal dehiscence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, pitted.
[FSOM]

M. Thulin. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1–4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Distribution
Seven species in mountain regions of tropical Africa and Arabia.
Morphology General Habit
Herbs, shrubs or subshrubs, glandular-pubescent to densely villose, hairs usually branched
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate along stem and in a basal rosette, entire or pinnatisect, pinnately veined
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence terminal, lax, racemose, without accessory flowers, bracteoles absent; flowers shortly to distinctly pedicellate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx deeply 5-lobed, lobes equal-Corolla yellow, subrotate, ± actinomorphic or somewhat zygomorphic, the 2 upper lobes slightly shorter than the 3 lower ones
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 4(–5), equal, exserted, the median one sometimes reduced to a staminode; filaments usually villous; anthers with confluent thecae (synthecous) rounded at base
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary pear-shaped to globose, glabrous or shortly pubescent with glandular hairs, with straight filiform style; stigma dilated to disk-shaped; base of style not persistent in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule with septicidal dehiscence
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, with longitudinal furrows.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2023. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images