Skip to main content

WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

63.) SCROPHULARIACEAE - Figwort family

SCROPHULARIACEAE - Figwort family

VERBASCUM L.

  • Verbascum blattaria L. (Moth Mullein) / General

  • Verbascum virgatum Stokes (Twiggy Mullein) /- General

  • Verbascum phoeniceum L. (Purple Mullein) 1911 General

  • Verbascum phlomoides L. (Orange Mullein) General

  • Verbascum densiflorum Bertol. (Dense-flowered Mullein) General

  • Verbascum thapsus L. (Great Mullein) / General

  • Verbascum ovalifolium Donn ex Sims (which sspp.? - ssp. ovalifolium, ssp. thracicum (Velen.) Murb. - Kew) (Find common name! - Oval-leaved Mullein?) 1932 General

  • Verbascum chaixii Vill. (Nettle-leaved Mullein) 1912 General

  • Verbascum nigrum L. (Dark Mullein) /- General

  • Verbascum boerhavii L. (Annual Mullein - iNaturalist, Boerhav's Mullein?) - [Sandwith, 1932] General

  • Verbascum sinuatum L. var. sinuatum (Wavy-leaved Mullein, Wavyleaf Mullein - GBIF, Scallop-leaved Mullein - Wikipedia) - [Sandwith, 1932] General

  • Verbascum speciosum Schrad. (Hungarian Mullein) - [Sandwith, 1932] General Very Rare several plants were found at Severn Beach in 2023 during a BNS meeting two large rosettes spotted at Bath in August, 2024 by Dave Pole - Bath Nats

  • Verbascum lychnitis L. (ssp. lychnitis - Kew var. album (Mill.) Druce - Stace, NBN) (White Mullein) 1978 General

SCROPHULARIA L.

  • Scrophularia nodosa L. (Common Figwort) / Woodland Uncommon Widely distributed in woodland and hedgebanks though never usually frequent in any one place, often only occurring as isolated clumps.

  • Scrophularia auriculata L. (Water Figwort) / Wetland Frequent Appears to be far more frequent than Common Figwort in our area. Predominantly found on the sides of streams, rivers, pond margins and ditch-sides but also often found in drier environments where the soil is clay. It has even been found growing out of a wall twice in Bristol by D. Peters!

  • Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. (Green Figwort) 1963 General Extinct

  • Scrophularia vernalis L. (Yellow Figwort) General Very Rare First recorded on Cranbrook Road, Redland, Bristol in 1932 by Mrs Bell (Sandwith, 1932). Recently found by David Hawkins on University Road at ST58077334 [record mentioned in Nature in Avon 2025, 194]. [2 other BSBI records exist]

PHYGELIUS E. Mey. ex Benth.

  • Phygelius capensis E. Mey. ex Benth. (Cape Figwort) General

  • Phygelius aequalis Harv. ex Hiern (Equal Cape Figwort?, River-bell - PlantZAfrica) General Very Rare The yellow-flowered cultivar 'Yellow Trumpet' was found growing out of a stone wall on Fishponds Road, Stapleton in 2024 by D. Peters.

CHAENOSTOMA Benth.

  • Chaenostoma cordatum Benth. (Bacopa) General Very Rare Found in Bishopston by R.J. Higgins.

2 records 17/09/2016 ST59397577 Ashley Down Higgins J Rupert 45 25/09/2016 ST58907275 Welsh Back, Bristol city centre Higgins J Rupert 45

NEMESIA Vent.

  • Nemesia stumosa Benth. (Nemesia) General Very Rare Widely grown in planters and sometimes escapes.

  • Nemesia denticulata (Benth.) Grant ex Fourc. (Toothed Aloha) General Very Rare Widely grown as a bedding plant in troughs and planters and occasionally escapes.Differs from N. strumosa by the presence of a conspicuous spur. A few plants were found at Cumberland Basin in 2022 during a BNS plant Hunt by C.M. Lovatt; a line of plants of various cultivars was found at the foot of a fenced of building on Broad Street, Bristol City Centre in 2025 by D. Peters and a single plant was found by R.J. Higgins at Cumberland Basin during a BNS Plant Hunt in 2026.

LIMOSELLA L.

  • Limosella aquatica L. (Mudwort) - Wetland

BUDDLEJA L.

  • Buddleja alternifolia Maxim. (Alternate-leaved Butterfly-bush) 1979 General

  • Buddleja davidii Franch. (Butterfly-bush) / General Common It would be impossible to imagine a brownfield site, ruin, railway line or building without the adorning presence of a Buddleja but this iconic species was only first recorded in our area from the Avon Gorge in 1928 and remained relatively rare until the 1980s.

List:

  • Verbascum blattaria L. (Moth Mullein) / General
  • Verbascum virgatum Stokes (Twiggy Mullein) /- General
  • Verbascum phoeniceum L. (Purple Mullein) 1911 General
  • Verbascum phlomoides L. (Orange Mullein) General
  • Verbascum densiflorum Bertol. (Dense-flowered Mullein) General
  • Verbascum thapsus L. (Great Mullein) / General
  • Verbascum ovalifolium Donn ex Sims (which sspp.? - ssp. ovalifolium, ssp. thracicum (Velen.) Murb. - Kew) (Find common name! - Oval-leaved Mullein?) 1932 General
  • Verbascum chaixii Vill. (Nettle-leaved Mullein) 1912 General
  • Verbascum nigrum L. (Dark Mullein) /- General
  • Verbascum boerhavii L. (Annual Mullein - iNaturalist, Boerhav's Mullein?) - [Sandwith, 1932] General
  • Verbascum sinuatum L. var. sinuatum (Wavy-leaved Mullein, Wavyleaf Mullein - GBIF, Scallop-leaved Mullein - Wikipedia) - [Sandwith, 1932] General
  • Verbascum speciosum Schrad. (Hungarian Mullein) - [Sandwith, 1932] (several plants at Severn Beach in 2023 during a BNS meeting, two large rosettes spotted at Bath in August, 2024 by Dave Pole - Bath Nats) General
  • Verbascum lychnitis L. (ssp. lychnitis - Kew var. album (Mill.) Druce - Stace, NBN) (White Mullein) 1978 General
  • Scrophularia nodosa L. (Common Figwort) / Woodland
  • Scrophularia auriculata L. (Water Figwort) / Wetland
  • Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. (Green Figwort) 1963 General
  • Scrophularia vernalis L. (Yellow Figwort) - found by David Hawkins on University Road at ST58077334 [record mentioned in Nature in Avon 2025, 194]. [2 other BSBI records exist] General
  • Phygelius capensis E. Mey. ex Benth. (Cape Figwort) General
  • Phygelius aequalis Harv. ex Hiern (Equal Cape Figwort?, River-bell - PlantZAfrica) General
  • Chaenostoma cordatum Benth. (Bacopa) - Rupert Higgins General
  • Nemesia stumosa Benth. (Nemesia) General
  • Nemesia denticulata (Benth.) Grant ex Fourc. (Toothed Aloha) - a plant was found by R.J. Higgins at Cumberland Basin during a BNS Plant Hunt in 2026 General
  • Limosella aquatica L. (Mudwort) - Wetland
  • Buddleja alternifolia Maxim. (Alternate-leaved Butterfly-bush) 1979 General
  • Buddleja davidii Franch. (Butterfly-bush) / General [It would be impossible to imagine a brownfield site, ruin, railway line or building without the adorning presence of a Buddleja but this iconic species was only first recorded in our area from the Avon Gorge in 1928.]

Species to add:

  • Verbascum boerhavii L. (Annual Mullein - iNaturalist, Boerhav's Mullein?) - [Sandwith, 1932] /
  • Verbascum sinuatum L. var. sinuatum (Wavy-leaved Mullein, Wavyleaf Mullein - GBIF, Scallop-leaved Mullein - Wikipedia) - [Sandwith, 1932] /
  • Verbascum speciosum Schrad. (Hungarian Mullein) - [Sandwith, 1932] (several plants at Severn Beach in 2023 during a BNS meeting, two large rosettes spotted at Bath in August, 2024 by Dave Pole - Bath Nats) /
  • Scrophularia vernalis L. (Yellow Figwort) - found by David Hawkins on University Road at ST58077334 [record mentioned in Nature in Avon 2025, 194]. [2 other BSBI records exist] /
  • Phygelius capensis E. Mey. ex Benth. (Cape Figwort) /
  • Chaenostoma cordatum Benth. (Bacopa) - Rupert Higgins /
  • Nemesia stumosa Benth. (Nemesia) /
  • Nemesia denticulata (Benth.) Grant ex Fourc. (Toothed Aloha) - a plant was found by R.J. Higgins at Cumberland Basin during a BNS Plant Hunt in 2026 /

Plants added by me:

  • Phygelius aequalis Harv. ex Hiern (Equal Cape Figwort?, River-bell - PlantZAfrica) /

Needs checking:

  • Verbascum blattarioides Lam. - [Brist. Fl. This is synonymous with V. virgatum ssp. virgatum which White records separately. Probably something else was intended.] check!