Verbascum (/vɜːrˈbæskəm/), common name mullein (sg. /ˈmʌlᵻn/) (also known as velvet plant), is a genus of about 360 species of flowering plants in the figwort family Scrophulariaceae. They are native to Europe and Asia, with the highest species diversity in the Mediterranean. Mullein or "mullein leaf" often refers to the leaves of Verbascum thapsus, the great or common mullein, which is frequently used in herbal medicine.