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AMERICAN MEDICINAL LEAVES AND HERBS. 



COMMON SPEEDWELL. 



Veronica officinalis L. 



Other common names.— Paul's betouy, ground-hele, fluellin, upland speedwell. 

 Habitat and range. —This little herb frequents dry fields and woods from Nova Scotia 

 to lilichigan and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. It also occurs in Europe 



and Asia. 

 Description.— The common speedwell creeps over the ground by means of rather 



woody stems rooting at the 

 joints and sends up 

 branches from 3 to 10 

 inches in height. It is 

 hairy all over. The leaves 

 are opposite to each other 

 on the stem, on short stalks, 

 gi"ayish green and soft 

 hairy, oblong or oval in 

 shape, and about one-half 

 to an inch in length; they 

 are blunt at the apex, with 

 margins saw toothed and 

 narrowing into the stalks. 

 From about May to July 

 the elongated, narrow, 

 spikelike flower clusters 

 are produced from the leaf 

 axils, crowded with small, 

 pale-blue flowers. (Fig. 

 24.) The capsule is obo- 

 vate, triangular, and com- 

 pressed , and contains 

 numerous flat seeds. The 

 speedwell is a perennial 

 belonging to the figwort 

 family (Scrophulariaceir) . 

 Collection, prices, and 

 uses. — The leaves and 

 flowering tops, which bring 

 about 3 to 5 cents a pound, 

 should be collected about 



Fig. 24.— Common speodwell (Vironica ofjficinulit), leaves and flowers. 



May or June. ^Mien fresh they have a faint, agreeable odor, which is lacking when 

 dry. The taste is bitter and aromatic and somewhat astringent. 



Sl)eedwell has been used for asthmatic troubles and coughs and also for its alterative, 

 tonic, and diuretic properties. 



LOXCLOVE. 

 I>i(fit(iU,i purpurea L. 



Phannacopanal nairie. — Digitalis. 



Other common names.— Fur\)\e foxglove, thimbles, fairy cap, fairy thimbles, fafry 

 fingers, fairy bells, dog's-finger, finger flower, lady's-glove, lady's-finger, lady's- 

 thimble, poiidock, flap dock, floj) dock, lion's-mouth, rabbit 's-flower, cottagers, 

 throat wort, Scotch mercury. 

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