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Verbascum lychnitis

White mullein

Habitus (CC BY-SA 3.0) Olivier Pichard

Short Description

The white mullein can grow up to 1.5 metres high.

The leaves are arranged singly and alternately on the stem. They are oval to elongated in shape. The underside is light grey hairy.

The stem is hairy and angular.

The yellow flowers have five, fused petals and long stems. They stand together in a long, panicle-shaped inflorescence. The stamens have whitish hairs.

The fruits are elongated capsules.

Features

White mullein

Verbascum lychnitis

  • whitish hairy stamens

  • angular and unwinged stem

Similar species

Dark mullein

Verbascum nigrum
The stem is angular. The stamens are purple hairy.

Dense-flowered mullein

Verbascum densiflorum
The stem is usually winged. Three of the five stamens inside the flower are densely hairy.

Common evening primrose

Oenothera biennis
It has four, non-fused petals.
Habitus (CC BY-SA 3.0) Olivier Pichard

In the city

In the city, white mullein is relatively common on banks and bushes.

Various mullein species are offered in nurseries as perennials for the garden.

Fun Facts

  • The flowering period is from June to September.

  • The hairs on the stamens look like pollen and thus attract pollen-collecting insects.

  • It is a biennial plant. This means that a plant lives for two years, but flowers only once and dies after the seeds have ripened.

  • Endangerment level Germany: not endangered

  • The species name "lychnitis" is derived from the Latin word "lychnos" = "lamp" and refers to the earlier use of the leaves for making lamp wicks.

Blütenstand (CC BY-SA 3.0) Le.Loup.Gris

Sources

Habitus, Olivier Pichard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verbascum_lychnitis_vallee-de-grace-amiens_80_21072007_2.jpg

Habitus, Olivier Pichard, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verbascum_lychnitis_vallee-de-grace-amiens_80_21072007_5.jpg

Blütenstand, Le.Loup.Gris, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verbascum_lychnitis_(flowers)_2.jpg

Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Eggenberg, S. & Möhl, A. (2007) Flora Vegetativa: Ein Bestimmungsbuch für Pflanzen der Schweiz im blütenlosen Zustand, Bern, Stuttgart, Wien: Haupt Verlag.

Jäger, E. J. (2011) Rothmaler - Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Gefäßpflanzen: Grundband, Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag.

Kammer, P. M. (2016) Pflanzen einfach bestimmen. Schritt für Schritt einheimische Arten kennenlernen, Bern: Haupt Verlag.

Schauer, T., Caspari, C. & Caspari, S. (2015) Der illustrierte BLV-Pflanzenführer für unterwegs. 1150 Blumen, Gräser, Bäume und Sträucher, München: BLV.

Page „Mehlige Königskerze“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 03.03.2016, 06:19 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mehlige_K%C3%B6nigskerze&oldid=152125054 (Accessed:27.07.2017).