Veronica chamaedrys

Veronica chamaedrys

The germander speedwell or bird’s-eye speedwell or cat’s eyes (Veronica chamaedrys L.) is a herbaceous species belonging to the Plantaginaceae family.

Systematics –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota Domain,
Kingdom Plantae,
Subarign Tracheobionta,
Spermatophyta superdivision,
Magnoliophyta Division,
Magnoliopsida class,
Subclass Asteridae,
Plantaginales Order,
Plantaginaceae family,
Genus Veronica,
V. chamaedrys species.
The terms are synonymous:
– Veronica amphibola Hausskn.;
– Veronica chamaedrys f. incisifolia J.Keller;
– Veronica chamaedrys f. procumbens Borhidi;
– Veronica chamaedrys var. legitima Ledeb.;
– Veronica chamaedrys var. petiolata Hal.;
– Veronica chamaedrys var. pilosa Benth.;
– Veronica chamaedrys var. pinnatifida Asch. & Graebn.;
– Veronica chamaedrys var. sternbergii Celak.;
– Veronica inflexa Casseb. & Theob., 1849;
– Veronica rigida Turrill;
– Veronica schmidtii Pohl.
Within the species, the following subspecies and varieties are recognized:
– Veronica chamaedrys subsp. chamaedryoides (Bory & Chaub.) M.A.Fisch.;
– Veronica chamaedrys subsp. chamaedrys;
– Veronica chamaedrys subsp. micans M.Fisch.;
– Veronica chamaedrys var. eglandulosa M.A.Fisch..

Etymology –
The term Veronica is of uncertain etymology; Linnaeus took its name from the botanists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, who in turn took it from common names, such as fr. véronique (1545); the oldest attestation seems to date back to a Swiss pharmacopoeia (15th century). The most common explanation links the name to the legend of Veronica, that is the pious woman who, during the ascent to Calvary, cleaned the face of Christ with a handkerchief, on which her image remained imprinted (Veronica is both the name of the woman, adaptation of the gr . Berenice, both the relic, by assonance with true icon, true image); the link would be given either by the flowering period of various species, around Holy Week, or by the darker veins of the corolla that may suggest a face. The connection with the Italian mystic Santa Veronica da Binasco (1445-1497) is less frequent. A derivation from Betonica has also been proposed, based on a passage by J. Bauhin (Veronica Foemina quibusdam, aliis Betonica), not very convincing on a linguistic level. Genaust, with extreme reserve, puts forward a possible connection with the High German wernickel, wernichel sty based on the use of V. chamaedrys to treat eye diseases.
The specific epithet chamaedrys comes from the Greek prefix χᾰμαι- chamai- on the ground, creeping and from δρῦς drys oak: similar to a small oak; it seems that this name was already used by Theophrastus for a dwarf plant with leaves similar to those of the oak.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
The germander speedwell is a Eurasian species, present from Norway to Portugal, from the east to Turkey, to Syria, to the Caucasus, to Kazakhstan, to western Siberia, to northern China.
In Italy it is present with two subspecies in all regions except Sicily and Sardinia.
Its habitat is that of forest meadows, arid valleys, forests, forest steppes and steppe zones, among shrubs, gardens, fields, where it grows on fresh clay soils, rather rich in nitrogen compounds, from the level of sea ​​at about 2200 m.

Description –
Veronica chamaedrys is a perennial, hairy herbaceous plant, 10 to 40 cm tall.
The stem is erect or ascending with hairs arranged in two lines.
The lower leaves are briefly petiolate, the upper sessile (without petiole) with lamina ovata, with a grossly toothed margin and rich in hair.
The inflorescence is in elongated cylindrical clusters (racemes), from 2 opposite to 3-5, located at the axil of the upper leaves, about 20 cm long, bearing up to 40 flowers, with bracts, calyx with lanceolate, hairy laciniae; intense blue-celestial corolla with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm, concave with 4 unequal lobes, with dark, short veins, two stamens.
It blooms from April to June.
The fruit is an ellipsoid to subspherical capsule, slightly compressed, fringed, hairless 2-6 x 2-6 mm. the seeds are oval.

Cultivation –
Veronica chamaedrys is a perennial herb that is harvested in nature for local use as food and medicine.
In some areas the plant grows in an extensive and weed and quite resistant way when it invades the turf and lawns. It creeps along the ground, spreading by sending roots to the nodes of the stem. It propagates both by seed and by stem fragments. The leaves can defoliate in summer and winter, but the stems will grow back next season.
This plant grows mainly in wooded clearings, in environments rich in nitrogenous substances, in fact it is found mainly in areas frequented by grazing animals or near pens.
It is an easily grown plant in moderately fertile, moisture-retaining, well-drained soil and prefers cool summers.

Customs and Traditions –
Veronica chamaedrys is a plant that, especially in the past, was used for internal use in traditional Austrian herbal medicine (as a tea) for disorders of the nervous system, respiratory tract, cardiovascular system and metabolism.
In 18th-century Britain, the plant had a reputation for being a cure for gout as well as being popular for making tea, the latter being so widespread that the plant was nearly eradicated from London during the 18th century.
This plant is astringent, healing and eupeptic with the same properties as Veronica officinalis. It is rarely used because the presence of aucubin can cause diarrhea.
Among its edibles, the leaves are used as a substitute for tea.
In medicinal use, the whole plant is used to purify the blood.
For internal use, an infusion is prepared from the leaves which once had a good reputation in the treatment of cough, asthma, phlegm, etc.
It is applied externally for skin diseases and is said to be an effective itch treatment.
From an ecological point of view it is a good plant for bees and other pollinators.

Preparation Method –
Veronica chamaedrys is a plant whose leaves are mainly used for both food and medicinal uses.
For edible use, the leaves are used as a tea substitute.
In the medicinal field, the whole plant is used for both internal and external use.
Infusions can be prepared or directly, for external use, for skin diseases.

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Acta Plantarum – Flora of the Italian Regions.
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Useful Tropical Plants Database.
– Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A., Blasi C. (ed.), 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora, Palombi Editore.
– Pignatti S., 1982. Flora of Italy, Edagricole, Bologna.
– Treben M., 2000. Health from the Lord’s Pharmacy, Advice and experiences with medicinal herbs, Ennsthaler Editore.
Photo source:
– https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/180458814/original.jpg

Warning: Pharmaceutical applications and alimurgical uses are indicated for informational purposes only, they do not represent in any way a medical prescription; therefore no responsibility is taken for their use for curative, aesthetic or food purposes.