32 AMERICAN MEDICINAL LEAVES AND HEBBS. 
COMMON SPEEDWELL. 
Veronica officinalis L. 
Other common names.—Paul’s betony, ground-hele, fluellin, upland speedwell. 
Habitat and range.—This little herb frequents dry fields and woods from Nova Scotia 
to Michigan and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. 
and Asia. 
It also occurs in Europe 
Description.—The common speedwell creeps over the ground by means of rather 
Fig. 24.—Common speedwell (Veronica officinalis), leaves and flowers. 
woody stems rooting at the 
joints and sends up 
branches from 3 to 10 
inches in height. It is 
hairy allover. Theleaves 
are opposite to each other 
on thestem, on short stalks, 
grayish green and soft 
hairy, oblong or oval -in 
shape, and about one-half 
toan 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 (Scrophulariacez). 
Collection, prices, and 
uses.—The leaves and 
flowering tops, which bring 
about 3 to5 cents a pound, 
should be collected about 
May or June. When fresh they have a faint, agreeable odor, which is lacking when 
dry. The taste is bitter and aromatic and somewhat astringent. 
Speedwell has been used for asthmatic troubles and coughs and also for its alterative, 
tonic, and diuretic properties. 
FOXGLOVE. 
Digitalis purpurea L. 
Pharmacopeial name.—Digitalis. 
Other common names.—Purple foxglove, thimbles, fairy cap, fairy thimbles, fairy 
fingers, fairy bells, dog’s-finger, finger flower, lady’s-glove, lady’s-finger, lady’s- 
thimble, popdock, flap dock, flop dock, lion’s-mouth, rabbit’s-flower, cottagers, 
throatwort, Scotch mercury. 
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