Veronica polita

Fr.

PlantaginaceaeLeaves
Veronica polita
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Matthieu Gauvain, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Matthieu Gauvain
Veronica polita
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Matthieu Gauvain, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Matthieu Gauvain
Veronica polita
iNaturalist · cc-by
(c) Robert Flogaus-Faust, some rights reserved (CC BY)

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves

Young leaves and stems can be eaten raw or cooked. They have a sweet flavour.

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant.

Asia, Central Asia, Europe, Korea, Luxembourg, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Türkiye,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Belarus, Switzerland, China, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Georgia, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

An annual herb growing to 0.3 m tall, flowering March to October. Hermaphroditic and insect-pollinated, self-fertile. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils with good drainage. Grows in mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soil. Requires full sun and prefers moist soil.

How to Grow

We have very little information on this species and do not know how hardy it is in Britain, but judging by its native range it should be possible to grow it as a half-hardy annual, and could perhaps also be autumn sown to overwinter. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a moderately fertile moisture retentive well drained soil. Prefers cool summers.

Propagation: Sow seed in spring directly in situ. An autumn sowing may also succeed.

Medicinal Uses

A decoction of the plant is used in the treatment of dysmenorrhoea and metrorrhagia.

Other Uses

None known.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Veronica polita, the grey field-speedwell is a species of flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae (Plantain) family. It is native to Europe, southwestern Asia, North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and a few nearby countries, and has been introduced to many countries worldwide particularly as a weed of cultivation.

Notes

Also put in the family Scrophulariaceae.

Names & Synonyms

Mavisot

V. agrestis. V. polita.
References (2)
  • Ertug, F, Yenen Bitkiler. Resimli Türkiye Florası -I- Flora of Turkey - Ethnobotany supplement
  • Hanif, U., et al, 2013, Ethnobotanical studies on some wild plants of head Qadirabad and adjoining areas, Pakistan. International Journal of Phytomedicine 5:373-377

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