OTHER COMMON NAMES:FLUELLEN;GROUND-HEEL;GROUND-HELE;GYPSYWEED;HEATH SPEEDWELL

The Royal Horticultural Society Horticultural Database, available at www.rhs.org.uk

Family changed from SCROPHULARIACEAE to PLANTAGINACEAE 10/02/2021 AT

Plants of the World online, Kew Science http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:812402-1 Link

Culpeper: ‘Veronica. See Betonica Pauli.’ He writes of the latter: ‘Betonica pauli. Paul’s Betony or male Lluellin, to which add Elatine, or female Lluellin, which comes afterwards ... are profitable in wounds, helps foul filthy eating cankers.’

Culpeper, Nicholas. (1650). A Physical Directory . London, Peter Cole.

Notes: It is still used in herbal medicine to treat chronic skin conditions.

Oakeley, Dr. H. F. . (2013). The Gardens of the Pharmacopoeia Londinensis. Link

Veronica officinalis L. Scrophulariaceae Speedwell. Distribution: Europe. Gerard (1633) calls this the female Fluellen, or Speedwell and Elantine. Pena and Lobel (1570/1) report how a barber cured a man whose nose was being eroded off by giving him Elantine to drink and by applying a poultice of the crushed herb to the sore - after learned physicians and surgeons had said the only remedy was to cut the nose off. Gerard lists several Veronica but all have a property of healing wounds.

Oakeley, Dr. Henry F. (2013). Wellcome Library notes. Link