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Verbascum pulverulentum
Biennial plant up to 1,5 m. tall. Stems erect , covered with a dense downiness, which makes the plant look like white velvet, coming off easily when rubbed. Oblong leaves. Flowers from 1.8 to 2.5 cm, yellow, in pyramidal panicles with five stamens. The leaves contain rotenone and coumarin, though the quantities are not given. Rotenone is used as an insecticide and coumarin can prevent the blood from clotting.
This monocarpic perennial is found on roadside verges and railway banks, in old quarries and gravel-pits, in hedge banks, rough ground, and locally on coastal shingle (its only `natural` habitat). Outside its core area it is usually a casual of waste ground. Seed remains viable for many years and new populations can appear after soil disturbance. Lowland.
Spotted on Jun 7, 2015
Submitted on Jan 12, 2016
1 Comment
So that fluffy white stuff is actually made by the plant? I had no idea! Thank you for the information and for sharing :)