The Collaborative International Dictionary
Hag-taper \Hag"-ta`per\ (-t[=a]`p[~e]r), n. [Cf. 1st Hag, and Hig-taper.] (Bot.) The great woolly mullein ( Verbascum Thapsus).
Mullein \Mul"lein\, n. [OE. moleyn, AS. molegn.] (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Verbascum. They are tall herbs having coarse leaves, and large flowers in dense spikes. The common species, with densely woolly leaves, is Verbascum Thapsus.
Moth mullein. See under Moth.
Mullein foxglove, an American herb ( Seymeria macrophylla) with coarse leaves and yellow tubular flowers with a spreading border.
Petty mullein, the cowslip.
--Dr. Prior.
Hig-taper \Hig"-ta`per\, n. [Cf. Hag-taper.] (Bot.) A plant of the genus Verbascum ( Verbascum Thapsus); the common mullein. [Also high-taper and hag-taper.]
Adam \Ad"am\, n.
The name given in the Bible to the first man, the progenitor of the human race.
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(As a symbol) ``Original sin;'' human frailty. And whipped the offending Adam out of him. --Shak. Adam's ale, water. [Coll.] Adam's apple.
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(Bot.)
A species of banana ( Musa paradisiaca). It attains a height of twenty feet or more.
--Paxton.A species of lime ( Citris limetta).
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The projection formed by the thyroid cartilage in the neck. It is particularly prominent in males, and is so called from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit (an apple) sticking in the throat of our first parent.
Adam's flannel (Bot.), the mullein ( Verbascum thapsus).
Adam's needle (Bot.), the popular name of a genus ( Yucca) of liliaceous plants.
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Wikipedia
Verbascum thapsus (great mullein or common mullein) is a species of mullein native to Europe, northern Africa, and Asia, and introduced in the Americas and Australia.
It is a hairy biennial plant that can grow to 2 meters tall or more. Its small yellow flowers are densely grouped on a tall stem, which grows from a large rosette of leaves. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, but prefers well-lit disturbed soils, where it can appear soon after the ground receives light, from long-lived seeds that persist in the soil seed bank. It is a common weedy plant that spreads by prolifically producing seeds, but it rarely becomes aggressively invasive, since its seeds require open ground to germinate. It is a very minor problem for most agricultural crops, since it is not a very competitive species, being intolerant of shade from other plants and unable to survive tilling. It also hosts many insects, some of which can be harmful to other plants. Although individuals are easy to remove by hand, populations are difficult to eliminate permanently.
It is widely used for herbal remedies, with well-established emollient and astringent properties. Mullein remedies are especially recommended for coughs and related problems, but also used in topical applications against a variety of skin problems. The plant has also been used to make dyes and torches.
Usage examples of "verbascum thapsus".
Helenium (Elecampane), the leaves of which resemble Foxglove leaves, though they are less pointed, and the lower lateral veins do not form a 'wing' as in the Foxglove, the leaves of Symphytum officinale (Comfrey), which, however, may be recognized by the isolated stiff hairs they bear, and Verbascum Thapsus (Great Mullein), the leaves of which, unlike those of the Foxglove, have woolly upper and under surfaces, and the hairs of which, examined under a lens, are seen to be branched.