Veronica officinalis
Veronica officinalis | |
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File:Veronica officinalis 1544.JPG | |
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V. officinalis
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Binomial name | |
Veronica officinalis |
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Veronica officinalis (heath speedwell,[1] common gypsyweed,[2] common speedwell, or Paul's betony) is a species of Veronica, native to Europe and western Asia.
It is a herbaceous perennial with hairy green stems 10–50 cm long that cover the ground in mats and send up short vertical shoots which bear soft violet flowers. The leaves are 1.5–5 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, and softly hairy.
It flowers from May until August.
Cultivation and uses
This speedwell grows in fields and takes hold in areas that have been disturbed. It is a potential weed if its seed gets into collections of agricultural seed, such as alfalfa. Historically the green parts of the plant have been used medicinally for coughs, otitis media, and gastrointestinal distress.[citation needed] The plant is rich in vitamins, tannins, and the glycoside aucuboside.[citation needed] Aucuboside, which is also found in many other Plantaginaceae species, is thought to have anti-inflammatory properties.[citation needed] Extracts are widely sold as herbal remedies for sinus and ear infections. It has been introduced to North America and is widely naturalised there. The slightly bitter and astringent taste and tea-like smell of speedwell led to its use as a tea substitute in 19th-century France, where it was called thé d'Europe, or "Europe tea." The French still use this term as a name for speedwell. Veronica officinalis herb has been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally (as tea) for treatment of disorders of the nervous system, respiratory tract, cardiovascular system, and metabolism.
References
External links
Media related to Veronica officinalis at Wikimedia Commons
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with unsourced statements from February 2012
- Medicinal plants
- Veronica (plant)
- Angiosperms of Metropolitan France
- Flora of Armenia
- Flora of Azerbaijan
- Flora of Denmark
- Flora of Estonia
- Flora of Georgia (country)
- Flora of Germany
- Flora of Greece
- Flora of Ireland
- Flora of Italy
- Flora of Latvia
- Flora of Lithuania
- Flora of the Republic of Macedonia
- Flora of Norway
- Flora of Portugal
- Flora of Romania
- Flora of Russia
- Flora of Spain
- Flora of the United Kingdom
- Flora of Iran
- Flora of Turkey
- Plants described in 1753