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Botanical Name : Veronica chamaedrys
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Veronica
Species: V. chamaedrys
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Lamiales
Synonyms: Fluellin the Male. Veronique petit Chêne. Paul’s Betony. Eye of Christ. Angels’ Eyes. Cat’s Eye. Bird’s Eye. Farewell, Teucrium officinalis.
Common Names: Germander speedwell, Bird’s-eye speedwell,Wall Germander, Germander
Habitat : Veronica chamaedrys is native to Europe and northern Asia. It is found on other continents as an introduced species.It grows in sunny, rather dry places on waste ground and rocky outcrops, mainly on limestone soils Naturalized on old walls in Britain
Description:
Veronica chamaedrys is a herbaceous perennial plant with hairy stems and leaves. It can grow to 25 cm tall, but is normally about 12 cm tall. The flowers are deep blue, 8 to 12 mm wide with a zygomorphic (bilaterally-symmetrical) four-lobed corolla.This little plant has a creeping, branched root-stock, passing insensibly into the stem, which is weak and decumbent to the point where the leaves commence, and then raises itself about a foot, to carry up the flowers. The leaves are in pairs, nearly stalkless, 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long, egg-shaped to heart-shaped, deeply furrowed by the veins, the margins coarsely toothed. On the whole length of the stem are two lines of long hairs running down between each pair of leaves, shifting from side to side wherever they arrive at a fresh pair of leaves. These hairy lines act as barriers to check the advance of unwelcome crawling insects. The leaves themselves bear jointed hairs, and the flower-stalks, calyx and capsule also have long, gland-tipped hairs. The leaves are sometimes attacked by a gall mite, Cecidomyia Veronica, and white galls like white buttons are the result on the ends of the shoots.
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The numerous flowers are in loose racemes, 2 to 6 inches long in the axils of the leaves, the flowers are rather close together on first expanding, but become distant after the fall of the corolla, which is 1/2 inch across, bright blue with darker lines, and a white eye in the centre, where the four petals join into the short tube. The corolla is so lightly attached that the least jarring causes it to drop, so that the plant at the slightest handling loses its bright blossom – hence, perhaps, its name Speedwell and similar local names, ‘Fare well’ and ‘Good-bye.’ The under lip of the corolla covers the upper in bud. The flower closes at night and also in rainy weather, when the brightness of the blossoms quite disappears, only the pale and pearly underside of its petals being visible.
Edible Uses : The plant is widely used in making alcoholic drinks with a bitter base, which have digestive or appetite-promoting qualities.
Medicinal Uses:
Antiinflammatory; Antirheumatic; Aperient; Aromatic; Astringent; Bitter; Carminative; Diaphoretic; Digestive; Diuretic; Stimulant;
Tonic.
Wall germander is a specific for the treatment of gout, it is also used for its diuretic properties, and as a treatment for weak stomachs and lack of appetite[9]. It has also been taken as an aid to weight loss and is a common ingredient in tonic wines. Some caution is advised when using this plant internally, it can cause liver damage[238] The whole herb is anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, aperient, aromatic, astringent, bitter, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, stimulant and tonic. It is harvested in the summer and can be dried for later use. It is used externally as an astringent infusion on the gums and also in the treatment of wounds.
Other Uses
Essential; Hedge; Hedge.
Amenable to light trimming so can be grown as a low edging border in the garden. Any trimming is best done in the spring. The plant contains 0.6% of an essential oil. Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 30cm apart each way
Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_chamaedrys
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/speger76.html
