Veronica Sp. - Speedwell

Family: Plantaginaceae (Mare's-tail family)(Previously in Scrophulariaceae)

"Annual, perennial herb.
Stem: erect or prostrate. Leaf: cauline, opposite, sessile to short-petioled. Inflorescence: raceme, terminal or axillary, or flowers 1 in axils; bracts small, alternate. Flower: sepals generally 4(5), ± free, generally unequal; corolla ± radial, ± rotate, generally 4-lobed, tube << lobes, upper lobe wide (perhaps formed by fusion of upper pair), blue or violet to white; stamens 2, exserted; stigma unlobed. Fruit: flattened perpendicular to septum, generally obcordate, loculicidal and septicidal.
+/- 250 species: northern temperate, especially Eurasia. (Named for Saint Veronica) Veronica beccabunga L., Veronica chamaedrys L. not in California; Veronica filiformis Sm., Veronica hederifolia L. occasionally as lawn weeds. Veronica biloba L., native to eastern Europe, Asia, a waif in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, Modoc Plateau, differs from Veronica persica in ways including shorter styles (< 1 mm)." [Jepson]

Local Species;

  1. Veronica anagallis-aquatica - blue water speedwell
  2. Veronica arvensis - wall speedwell
  3. Veronica beccabunga var americana - American speedwell
  4. Veronica chamaedrys - germander speedwell
  5. Veronica filiformis - slender speedwell
  6. Veronica hederifolia - ivy-leaved speedwell
  7. Veronica officinalis - common speedwell
  8. Veronica peregrina - purslane speedwell
  9. Veronica persica - bird's-eye speedwell
  10. Veronica scutellata - marsh speedwell
  11. Veronica serpyllifolia - thyme-leaved speedwell
  12. Veronica.wormskjoldii - alpine speedwell

Species Mentioned;
There are a number of other Veronica species scattered throughout the Pacific Northwest. V. americana is the species most noted for food and medicine, but all are likely to be safe for consumption. Veronica americana. [????]

Hazards

Pollution

When picking any water-loving greens like veronica, cattails, mare's tail, or buckbean, always be certain to avoid polluted areas. If you have any doubts concerning the purity of the habitat, you can add a halozone tablet or bit of chlorine bleach to the wash water. [????]

Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Speedwell)

V. officinalis; "Regulated in the U.S. as an allowable flavoring agent in alcoholic beverages only (AHP). “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). Speedwell prevented and speeded healing of ulcers in experimental animals (PHR)." [HMH Duke]

Key to Veronica
1. Racemes axillary; herbage generally glabrous; perennial herb
2. Leaves petioled ..... V. americana
2' Leaves sessile (proximal rarely short-petioled)
3. Racemes alternate; leaf lance-linear, length generally >> 5 × width; fruit deeply notched ..... V. scutellata
3' Racemes opposite; leaf elliptic or lanceolate to ovate, length < 5 × width; fruit entire or slightly notched
4. Leaves elliptic to ovate, length 1.5–3 × width; corolla 5–10 mm, lavender to blue; fruit rounded to obcordate .....V. anagallis-aquatica
4' Leaves lanceolate, length 3–5 × width; corolla 3–5 mm, pink; fruit notched 0.1–0.3 mm ..... V. catenata
1' Racemes mostly terminal, or flowers 1 in axils; herbage generally hairy; annual or perennial herb
5. Perennial herb, rhizomed
6. Style 6–9 mm, > fruit; corolla 8–13 mm
7. Leaves hairy; corolla 8–10 mm, pale blue to lavender-rose; e Klamath Ranges ..... V. copelandii
7' Leaves generally glabrous; corolla 10–13 mm, deep blue; Cascade Range, n&c High Sierra Nevada ..... V. cusickii
6' Style 0.8–3 mm, generally < fruit; corolla 6–10 mm
8. Style 2–3 mm; fruit generally < calyx, wider than long; stem decumbent ..... V. serpyllifolia subsp. humifusa
8' Style 0.8–1.3 mm; fruit > calyx, longer than wide; stem erect nearly from base ..... V. wormskjoldii
5' Annual, fibrous-rooted or taprooted
9. Pedicel 0.5–2 mm, < calyx; seeds generally many per chamber, flat, smooth
10. Leaf triangular to ovate, crenate to serrate; sepals unequal (outer pair larger); corolla blue to violet ..... V. arvensis
10' Leaf oblong to spoon-shaped, entire to ± serrate; sepals ± equal; corolla ± white ..... V. peregrina subsp. xalapensis
9' Pedicel 4–30 mm, generally > calyx; seeds 5–12 per chamber, concave, outer surface rough
11. Pedicel 15–30 mm; leaf crenate to serrate; style 2–3 mm; fruit lobes spreading ..... V. persica
11' Pedicel 4–15 mm; leaf palmately 3–9 lobed; style 1.2–1.6 mm; fruit lobes ± parallel (or fruit ± round) ..... [V. triphyllos] [????]

Uses
It provides a vegetable (said to be superior to watercress), a bush medicine, and a kitchen cosmetic. It is also a wonderful addition to the home herb garden if you can provide the moist conditions it loves. [????]

Harvesting: Spring to early summer: veronica leaves and stems. (The plant is best before flowering. Use fresh for food; dry or tincture for medicinal use.) [????]

Edible Uses
The upper stems and leaves of veronica can be nibbled as a snack, added to salads, or steamed lightly as a potherb. The leaves are considered spicy and refreshing by some, bitter by others. As always, taste buds react differently to flavors so you'll just have to decide for yourself. In Japan and parts of Europe, the greens are considered a delicacy.
The leaves and stems (add flowers if you wish) can be steeped for tea. Overseas, it's very popular and nicknamed tea de l' europe; the taste is reminiscent of Chinese green tea.
Those who find the vitamin C-crammed veronica too strong flavored might try cooking the plant in changes of water or using it in casseroles blended with milder greens. [????]

Leaves

This speedwell is used like watercress (See Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum) in many parts of the world, especially Europe and Japan, many thinking it equal to that species as a salad plant. We have used it many times and find it always has a distinctly bitter taste; this is so pronounced that we try to mix it with other plants. You may enjoy this suggestion of bitterness when you use it alone, especially with the addition of some robust dressing. Like any fresh, green-salad plant it is antiscorbutic and healthful. We used the young, rapidly growing shoots. We have tried the plants as potherbs, boiling them for about 15-20 minutes (5000 ft.). They were tender but still had the aftertaste of bitterness noticed in the raw shoots. We suggest a couple of water changes during the boiling process to help tame them down, in any event, we like to use them diluted with other greens [????]

Other Uses

Cosmetic

Veronica infusions can be used in hair con- ditioning rinses and skin-clearing herbal steams. Veronica is also an ingredient in massage oils and ointments. Add it to your bath water for a soothing soak. [????]

Medicinal Uses
Though V. officinalis is the "official" Euro- pean species for medicinal use, V. americana has similar properties. The flowering herb is used, and administered as tea, tincture, or juice.
Veronica is mainly used as an expectorant for respiratory problems, such as bronchitis and asthma. Veronica is often combined with coltsfoot for lung problems; with dandelion root for liver complaints; with nettle and shep- herd's purse for stomach ulcers; and with elder for eczema and acne. Veronica is traditional in cough syrups, sore throat gargles, and skin salves. [????]

References

Veronica anagallis-aquatica - blue water speedwell

"Veronica anagallis-aquatica is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft).
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jun to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies, self.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water." [PFAF]

Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

"The high humidity and low temperatures in winter in northwest Anatolia in Turkey are associated with a high incidence of rheumatic disorders, and herbal remedies are frequently used to alleviate such symptoms. Veronica anagallis-aquatica L. (Scrophulariaceae) is one of these remedies; aerial parts are boiled in milk and the poultice thus obtained is applied to the abdomen for abdominal pain or its warm decoction (without removing the boiled herbs) is used as a bath remedy to alleviate rheumatic pain (Fujita et al., 1995). To evaluate this information, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of the aerial parts were studied using p-benzoquinone-induced writhing reflexes and carrageenin-induced paw oedema tests, respectively. Through bioassay-guided fractionation and isolation procedures, iridoid glucosides were isolated as the active antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory principles, which supported the folkloric utilisation (Küpeli et al., 2005). The activity of these molecules was found to be independent of their hydroxyl substitution in benzyl group, but dose-dependent. These compounds were also found to be safe and did not induce any apparent toxicity or gastric damage." [Houghton EHMP]

Propagation

"Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient seed it can be grown in situ in the autumn or spring. Division in autumn or spring[200]. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring. Cuttings of young shoots root easily in the growing season, merely put them in water." [PFAF]

Cultivation

"Easily grown in a moderately fertile wet soil or in shallow water[1, 200]. Prefers cool summers[200]. Plants are occasionally cultivated for their edible leaves in Japan[61]." [PFAF]

References

Veronica arvensis - Wall speedwell

"Veronica arvensis is a ANNUAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 5. It is in flower from Mar to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, self.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil." [PFAF]

Habitat / Range
"Dry to mesic lawns, fields and waste places in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; frequent in S BC; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Cultivated ground, grassland and on heaths, in more or less open habitats and usually on dry soils[17]. Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and east to N. Africa, central and western Asia." [PFAF]

Origin Status: Exotic [E-flora]

Medicinal Uses

Cultivation & Propagation
"Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive or dry well drained soil[200]. Prefers cool summers[200]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ." [PFAF]

References

Veronica beccabunga var americana - American speedwell

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

"Veronica americana is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 1 m (3ft 3in).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 2. It is in flower from Jul to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water." [PFAF]

Habitat / Range "Wet ditches, swamps, marshes, and shallow water along margins of streams and lakes in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; common in S BC, infrequent northward; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to NC, NE, TX, NM, AZ, CA, and MX." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Shallow water, rills and swamps[43].N. America - Newfoundland to Alaska, south to California and N. Carolina." [PFAF]

Origin Status: Native [E-flora]

Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Uses of Brooklime, European speedwell - Veronica beccabunga

(This appears to be the European variety, not the North American...based on range and common name')[Personal Observation]

Food use

"Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 4, 5, 115]. They can be added to salads, mixed with water cress or cooked with other strongly flavoured greens[9, 183]. A pungent flavour, although the leaves are wholesome they are not very palatable[4, 12]." [PFAF]

Medicinal Use

"The whole plant is alterative, antiscorbutic, very mildly diuretic, emmenagogue and febrifuge[4, 9, 13, 21]. It is of little benefit as a medicinal herb, but has a beneficial laxative effect when included in the diet[9]. The leaves are used in the treatment of scurvy, impurity of the blood etc[240]. The plant is bruised and applied externally as a politic on burns, ulcers, whitlows, etc[240]." [PFAF]

Brooklime - Veronica beccabunga
Medicinal Parts: The medicinal parts are the fresh flowering plant freed from the root, the fresh aerial parts collected during the flowering season and the whole plant.
Habitat: The plant is indigenous to almost all of Europe, western and northern Asia and northern Africa, and is naturalized in eastern North America. Production: Brooklime is the aerial part of Veronica beccabunga. The collection or picking occurs in uncultivated regions in Europe, west and north Asia, North Africa and North America.
COMPOUNDS
Iridoide monoterpenes: aucubin (0.8%)
Flavonoids: including among others scutellarin glycosides
£ The drug has not been extensively investigated.
EFFECTS Brooklime has a diuretic effect.
Unproven Uses: Brooklime is used to lessen the elimination of urine. It is also used for constipation, liver complaints, dysentery and lung conditions. The drug has also been reported to be effective against bleeding of the gums. [PDR]

(Veronica beccabunga) The specific name, beccabunga, is O Norse bekh, a brook, plus bung, which is the name of a plant. Brooklime seems to be the exact Anglo-Saxon equivalent of the Norse (which is still retained as a common name in Shetland as Bekkabung (Grigson. 1955) ). It is edible as a spring salad plant, and it is used as such all over northern Europe. It often grows with watercress, and the two were gathered and eaten together (Barton & Castle). “Spring Juice” was fresh brooklime and scurvygrass, cut and beaten in a mortar, and left to steep for twelve hours. Then it was strained, and the juice of Seville oranges to an equal amount was added. A wineglassful taken fasting each morning for a week was a spring tonic (Quelch).
It is said to be excellent for skin diseases. In the Balkans they make a poultice by boiling it with onions and wheat chaff in sour milk (Kemp). Gypsies use the leaves for a poultice for piles, boils, etc., (VeseyFitzgerald), a use Wesley knew: “the Piles (to cure): a Poultis of boil’d Brook-lime”, and the poultice was prescribed for whitlows and burns as well (Barton & Castle). In Irish folk medicine, the decoction, either alone, or mixed with watercress, used to be taken for gravel, and urinary diseases generally (Egan). Boiled and sweetened, it was used around Belfast as an expectorant (Barbour). In Wicklow, too, the water in which it had been boiled was taken to be an excellent cold cure. One should stay in bed, however, as “it opens all the pores” (O Cleirigh) [DPL Watts?]

"Veronica beccabunga has shared with V. officinalis a reputation for easing colds and coughs (Wicklow,221 Limerick,222 Clare223) or as an expectorant (the Belfast area224), but in other ways its use has displayed a pattern markedly different from other speedwells. Valued as a diuretic, it has treated kidney and urinary troubles in ‘Ulster’,225 Wicklow226 and Clare,227 while it has served as a ‘spring juice’ for cleansing the system of impurities and curing scurvy in Clare228 and Cork229 and been applied to wounds in Londonderry.230" [MPFT]

"The plant has been valued for healing ‘bad legs’ (leg ulcers produced by scurvy?) in Hampshire233 and perhaps also in Devon,234 applied to fresh wounds in, probably, Norfolk,235 and in at least some part of the country people are said to have placed the bruised leaves on burns.236" [MPFT]

BROOKLIME (Veronica beccabunga L.)
Activities (Brooklime)

Alterative (f; EFS);
Antipyretic (f; FEL);
Antiscorbutic (f; FEL);
Aperitif(f; EFS; WOI);

Depurative (f; EFS);
Diuretic (f; EFS; PH2);
Emmenagogue (f; FEL);
Litholytic(f; WOI).[HMH Duke]
Indications (Brooklime)

Amenorrhea (f; FEL);
Anorexia (f; EFS; WOI);
Bladder Stone(f; WOI);
Bleeding (f; HH2);
Cancer (f; JLH);
Cancer, anus (f; JLH);
Condyloma (f; JLH);
Constipation (f; PH2);
Cough (f; FEL);
Cystosis (f; WOI);
Dermatosis (f; HH2; WOI);
Dysentery (f; HH2; PH2);
Dyspepsia (f; FEL);
stosis (f; WOI);
Dermatosis (f; HH2; WOI);

Dysentery (f; HH2; PH2);
Dyspepsia (f; FEL);
Fever (f; FEL);
Gallstone (f; HH2);
Gingivosis (f;PH2);
Hepatosis (f; PH2);
Odontosis (f; HH2);
Proctosis (f; JLH);
Pulmonosis (f; HH2; PH2);
Scrofula (f; EFS; HH2);
Stone (f; WOI);
Swelling (f; JLH);
Water Retention (f; EFS; PH2);
Whitlow (f; JLH). [HMH Duke]
Dosages (Brooklime)
"Food farmacy; shoots eaten like cress (JAD). Decoction may be eatenvfreely (FEL)." [HMH Duke]
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Brooklime)

"Not covered (AHP). “Hazards and/or side effects not known for proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2) (but PH2 designates no specific quantified dosage! JAD). LD50 (unspecific extract) 681 mg/kg ipr mouse (HH2); 1000 mg/kg ipr rat (HH2)." [HMH Duke]

Cultivation & Propagation

"An easily grown plant, succeeding in a moderately fertile wet soil or in shallow water[1, 200]. Prefers cool summers[200]. Plants do not demand high light levels[200]. Closely related to V. beccabunga[1]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in autumn or spring[200]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References

Veronica chamaedrys - germander speedwell

"Veronica chamaedrys is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Mar to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.The plant is self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

Habitat / Range

"Mesic grassy clearings, lawns, waste places and open forest in the lowland zone; rare in SW and SE BC; introduced from Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]
"A common plant of grassland, woods, hedges etc[1, 13, 17].Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain, north and western Asia." [PFAF]

Origin Status: Exotic [E-flora]

Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

"The herb is a blood purifier and vulnerary[4]. It is applied externally to skin diseases and is said to be an efficacious treatment for the itch[4]. Internally, an infusion of the leaves once had a good reputation in the treatment of coughs, asthma, catarrh etc[4]." [PFAF]

"Veronica chamaedrys has been so particularly mentioned in the folk records as a remedy for two ailments almost exclusively that it seems safe to assume that ‘speedwell’ is intended for this in instances where just that name is given in either of those connections.
One of those ailments is tired or strained eyes. The records traced of the use of a lotion for that are all from the southern half of England: Cornwall,206 Somerset,207 Suffolk208 and Norfolk.209 In some areas, this use was apparently so deeply entrenched that the plant was known as ‘eyebright’,210 a name normally borne by Euphrasia species (with which speedwell was combined in the decoction recorded from Somerset211)."
"In sharp contrast, the records of use for the other ailment, jaundice, are Irish exclusively: Cavan,212 Longford,213 Offaly,214 Wicklow,215 Tipperary,216 Limerick217 and Kerry218 —mostly around the fringes of the central plain. The leaves and stems in these cases were boiled and the resulting liquid drunk, with milk and sugar sometimes added. According to one Kerry informant, after drinking this twice daily the jaundice will disappear after the ninth day; but if the yellow colour of the skin turns to black, the cure has no effect.219
If this was ‘cat-eye’, the plant has performed the further service in Limerick, pounded and boiled in milk, of healing the ‘falling sickness’, i.e. epilepsy.220" [MPFT]

Cultivation & Propagation

"Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive well drained soil[200]. Prefers cool summers[200]. A good bee plant[24]. A common garden weed, it grows well in a lawn[200] and can be grown in the spring meadow[24]. It is also a good plant for the flower border[1]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient quantity, the seed can be sown in situ in the autumn or the spring. Division in autumn or spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring." [PFAF]

References

Veronica filiformis - slender speedwell

Habitat / Range "Moist grassy clearings and lawns in the lowland zone; rare in SW and SC BC; introduced from Asia." [IFBC-E-flora]

Origin Status: Exotic [E-flora]

References

Veronica hederifolia - Ivy-leaved speedwell

"Veronica hederifolia is a ANNUAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen from May to June. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects, self. The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil." [PFAF]

Habitat / Range

"Moist fields, lawns and waste places in the lowland and montane zones; rare in SW BC; introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Common in cultivated ground throughout Britain[17].Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to N. Africa and temperate Asia to Japan." [PFAF]

Origin Status: Exotic [E-flora]

Medicinal Uses

Cultivation & Propagation

"Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive or dry well drained soil[200]. Prefers cool summers[200]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ." [PFAF]

References

Veronica officinalis - common speedwell

"Veronica officinalis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft).
It is hardy to zone (UK) 3 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies, bees.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil." [PFAF]

Habitat / Range
"Mesic to dry fields, roadsides and open forests in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent in S BC, rare northward; introduced from Eurasia.
"Heaths, moors, grassland, dry hedgebanks and coppices, often on dry soils[4, 17].Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain, W. Asia and the Caucasus." [PFAF]

Origin Status: Exotic [E-flora]

Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

"Production: Speedwell consists of the above-ground parts of Veronica officinalis imported from Bulgaria, the former Yugoslavia and Hungary. Only the flowering herb is harvested (without roots or lower parts) and subsequently dried fully in the shade before it is cut." [PDR]

"The leaves and roots are alterative, astringent, mildly diuretic, mildly expectorant, stomachic and tonic[4, 9, 14, 21, 222]. They have been employed in the treatment of pectoral and nephritic complaints, haemorrhages, skin diseases and the treatment of wounds[4], though the plant is considered to be obsolete in modern herbalism[238]." [PFAF]

"Unproven Uses: Speedwell preparations are used for diseases and discomfort of the respiratory, gastrointestinal and lower urinary tracts. It is also used for the liver and kidneys, - and to treat gout, rheumatoid arthritis and rheumatic complaints.
In addition, Speedwell is used internally to improve metabolism ("blood-purifying") and for nervous agitation. Externally, the herb is used as a gargle for inflammation of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa, promotion of wound healing, chronic skin complaints, itching and sweating of the feet." [PDR]

"Dosages (Speedwell) 1.5 g herb/cup 2–3 ×/day (HH2; PHR)" [HMH Duke]

"Preparation: To prepare a tea, pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1.5 gm of drug (1 gm is approximately 1 teaspopnful). For the preparation of external lavages and compresses for ulcers, wounds and eczema, add 1 handful of drug tol liter of water and boil for 10 minutes.
Daily Dosage: The average single dose is 1.5 gm of drug. The dose of the tea (used as an expectorant) is 1 cup taken 2 to 3 times daily.
Storage: Speedwell must be protected from light sources." [PDR]

"Activities (Speedwell) Alterative (f; FEL; PNC); Antidiaphoretic (f; PH2); Antiscorbutic (f;EFS); Antiulcer (1; HH2; PH2); Aperitif (f; EFS); Astringent (1; FAD; PH2); Depurative (f; EFS;FAD); Diaphoretic (f; EFS; FAD); Digestive (f; EFS); Diuretic (f; EFS; FAD; FEL); Emetic (f;DEM); Emmenagogue (f; EFS; FAD); Expectorant (f; EFS; FAD; FEL; HH2; PH2); Stomachic (f;EFS); Tonic (f; FAD; FEL); Tranquilizer (f; EFS); Vulnerary (f; EFS)" [HMH Duke]

Select Indications (Speedwell): Arthrosis (f; BRU; PHR; PH2); Asthma (f; FAD; HHB; HH2; MAD); Boil (f; DEM; MAD); Bronchosis (f;FAD; HHB; HH2; MAD); Catarrh (f; FEL; HHB; MAD); Cough (f; DEM; FAD; FEL); Dermatosis (f; DEM; FAD; FEL; PH2); Enterosis (f; MAD; PHR; PH2); Fever (f; EFS; FAD); Gastrosis (f; MAD; PHR; PH2); Gout (f;FAD; MAD; PH2); Infection (f; HHB; MAD); Jaundice (f; FAD; FEL; MAD); Nephrosis (f; FAD; FEL; MAD;PH2); Nervousness (f; EFS; PH2); Pharyngosis (f; HH2; PHR; PH2); Pulmonosis (f; FAD; MAD); Rheumatism (f; BRU; FAD; PH2); Scrofula (f;DEM; FEL); Stomatosis (f; PHR; PH2); Ulcer (1; HH2; PHR; PH2); Water Retention (f; EFS; FAD; FEL); Wound (f; MAD; PHR; PH2) [HMH Duke]

"John Gerard in his Herball197 described and figured Veronica officinalis as the herb long esteemed in Wales for great healing virtues under the name ‘fluellen’. That identification may or may not have been correct, but he immediately confused matters by extending that name to the two British species of Kickxia (to which it has mainly been applied in books since) and to other members of the genus Veronica as well."
"Although Veronica officinalis, as the specific name implies, was the speedwell focused on by official medicine as the possessor of a range of healing properties (and its folk use in Romania for treating stomach ulcers appears to have had its efficacy confirmed as well founded by experiments199), it features too rarely in the Scottish and Irish folk records—and seemingly not at all in those for England—to be accepted as a wholly convincing member of the unwritten tradition in the British Isles, as opposed to being a late requisition from book-based lore."
"The Irish evidence is only a little better. That the plant has been employed for colds in one district of Donegal stands safely on the authority of an experienced botanist202; in the adjoining county of Londonderry, however, another botanist found the country people mistook germander speedwell for this species, using that for asthma and lung complaints.203" [MPFT]

Phytochemicals

"Iridoide monoterpenes (0.5-1.0%): including among others aucubin, catalpol, catalpol esters (including among others minecoside, verminoside, veronicoside), mussaenoside, 4 ladroside
Flavonoids (0.7%): including among others luteolin-7-Oglucosides (cinaroside), 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-monoglucoside
Triterpene saponins (10%)
Caffeic acid derivatives: chlorogenic acid (0.5%)" [PDR]

Pharmacology

"Speedwell exhibits a protective effect against ulcers and accelerates ulcer healing. Its use as an astringent in the treatment of wounds and as a gargle for inflammations of the mouth and throat is plausible because of the amaroid-like properties of the drug." [PDR]

Common Speedwell -- Gypsyweed Veronica officinalis L [DukePhyt]
Chemical/Part/Lo ppm /Hi ppm /Reference

6-HYDROXYLUTEOLIN-7-MONOGLYCOSIDE Plant DUKE1992A
AUCUBIN Plant DUKE1992A
MANNITOL Plant DUKE1992A
MINECOSIDE Plant DUKE1992A

RESIN Plant DUKE1992A
TANNIN Plant DUKE1992A
VERMINOSIDE Plant DUKE1992A
VERONICOSIDE Plant DUKE1992A
VERPROSIDE Plant DUKE1992A

Cultivation & Propagation

"Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive well drained soil[200]. Prefers cool summers[200]. Thrives in light shade or in open sunny positions[14]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient quantity, the seed can be sown in situ in the autumn or the spring. Division in autumn or spring[200]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring." [PFAF]

References

Veronica peregrina - purslane speedwell

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

"Veronica peregrina is a ANNUAL/BIENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in). It is in flower from Apr to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Self.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil." [PFAF]

Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC:
1. Plants smooth; rare on Vancouver Island and the lower Fraser Valley..................... var. peregrine
1. Plants short stalked-glandular in the inflorescences and on the capsules; the frequent variety....................... var. xalapensis (H.B.K.) St. John & Warren [IFBC-E-flora]

Habitat / Range
"Moist to wet roadsides, ditches, streambanks, vernal pools, meadows and clearings; frequent throughout S BC, rare northward (var. xalapensis), and rare (var. peregrina) on Vancouver Island and the lower Fraser Valley, where probably introduced from eastern N America; var. xalapensis - E to PQ and NS and S to NH, PA, FL, AL, AR, TX , NM, AZ, CA and MX." [IFBC-E-flora]
"Wet places, especially on river banks in lowland C. and S. Japan[58]. Cultivated ground and damp waste places in Britain[17]. Europe to E. Asia. Naturalized in Britain[17]." [PFAF]

Origin Status:

Medicinal Uses

Cultivation & Propagation

"Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive well drained soil[200]. Prefers cool summers[200]." [PFAF]

"Seed - sow spring or late summer in situ." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References

Veronica persica - bird's-eye speedwell

Habitat / Range

"Moist to dry, grassy roadsides, lawns, fields and waste places in the lowland and steppe zones; infrequent in S BC; introduced from Eurasia." [IFBC-E-flora]

Origin Status: Exotic [E-flora]

Synonyms

References

Veronica scutellata - marsh speedwell

"Veronica scutellata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.3 m (1ft). It is hardy to zone (UK) 6. It is in flower from Jun to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies, self.The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers wet soil and can grow in water." [PFAF]

Habitat / Range "Swamps, fens, marshes, wet meadows and edges of streams and lakes in the lowland, steppe and montane zones; infrequent throughout BC; N to AK, YT and NT, E to NF and S to NH, PA, NC, TN, LA, CO, ID, NV and CA; Eurasia." [E-flora]
"Ponds, bogs, wet meadows etc, often on acid soils[17]. Europe, including Britain, from Iceland south and east to Spain and northern Asia to N. Japan." [PFAF]

Origin Status: Native [E-flora]

Edible Uses

Propagation
"Seed - sow autumn in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. If you have sufficient quantity the seed can be sown outdoors in situ in the autumn or the spring. Division in autumn or spring[200]. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer or the following spring." [PFAF]

Cultivation
"Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive well drained soil[200]. Prefers cool summers[200]. Dislikes shade." [PFAF]

Synonyms

References

Veronica serpyllifolia - thyme-leaved speedwell

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

General: "Perennial herb from a creeping rhizome; stems ascending, 10-30 cm tall/long, often decumbent or creeping at the base and producing prostrate, nodally rooting branches, otherwise simple, finely and closely short-hairy, or smooth." [IFBC-E-flora]

Notes:
Two varieties occur in BC
1. Axis of inflorescence and flower stalks minutely incurved-hairy, non-glandular; corollas to 5 mm wide; introduced in SW and E BC..................... var. serpyllifolia
1. Axis of inflorescence and flower stalks finely minute-hairy but also with spreading glandular hairs; corollas to 8 mm wide; native throughout BC..................... var. humifusa (Dickson) Vahl [E-flora]

Habitat / Range
"Mesic to wet meadows, fields, streambanks, thickets, open forests and waste places in the lowland, steppe, montane and lower subalpine zones; frequent throughout BC, especially southward; var. humifusa - circumpolar, N to AK, E to NF and S to NH, NY, MI, WI, MN, NM, AZ, CA and MX; Eurasia, var. serpyllifolia - introduced from Europe." [IFBC-E-flora]

References

Veronica wormskjoldii - alpine speedwell

SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC

Origin Status: Native [E-flora]

References