Base vervain is a herbaceous plant of the plantain family. The plurannual is found in the grass and under trees at forest fringes and in the glades, dry meadows and on road sides. It grows throughout Europe, Western Siberia and the Caucasus.
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Base vervain
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Name of the genus dates back to the XVI century: a German botanist Leonard Fuks named the plant after Saint Veronica whose remembrance day by the Catholic calendar occurred on July 12. At this time all plants of the genus flower abundantly.
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Base vervain has other names related to its curative properties and appearance. The Dal ‘Explanatory Dictionary’ names the plant ‘little snake’ or ‘snake grass’ because its flower heads are similar in form to a snake. Other names originate from the color of its flowers:
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‘Blue veronica, meadow, forest edge, spring and others’.
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Применение
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The other reason for calling the plant ‘snake grass’ was that our ancestors used base vervain as a guard against different crawlers. Another dictionary calls the plant ‘Andrew’s grass’ – this is simply because July 12 by the Orthodox calendar is the remembrance day of the holy martyr Andrew Stratelates.
Base vervain. Source: commons.wikimedia.org
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The height of this plurannual does not usually exceed 40 centimeters. The scape of the plant has two rows of soft hairs. The grass starts blossoming in May. It has pretty little bright-blue and sky-blue flowers with dark fibers. After pollination the plant develops small heart-shaped box-like fruit with lots of little seeds inside.
Base vervain is an excellent honey plant. One hectare of vervain yields up to 100 kilograms of nectar. Along with harvested and medicinal vervain, base vervain is used for medical purposes. The grass is stored up when it blossoms. It contains glycoside, ascorbic acid, carotene and other useful elements.
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The plant is unpretentious and easily withstands changes in the climate, therefore it is often found in parks and public gardens. Base vervain conjoins with meadow grasses and flower beds and decorates tree and shrub trunks.
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Kuzebai Gerd National Museum of the Republic of Udmurtia
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Base vervain
Dimensions
40x30 cm
Technique
Herbarization
Collection
Exhibition
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