Vervain is an invasive herb brought in Europe for its spreading herbal
properties.
Early ancient Romans used this herb to purify their temples and homes.
It is used today for various health benefits in all over the world.
Vervain is distributed to England, central and southern Europe, North
Africa, Asia, and North America.
The plant of verbena officinalis is perennial, slender with 30-90 cm
tall. The stem is erect having a woody stalk.
The leaves growing downwards are ovate, segmented and stalked while the
upper leaves are slender, lanceolate and toothed.
The flowers are tiny, blue in colour appearing on the spikes in the
axis of the bract.
The fruit is enclosed in the calyx of cylindrical nutlets.
Verbena is usually cultivated in all the parts of world and found in
waste places, uncultivated lands.
It grows as weed in some parts of world. The dried herb is collected in
july after the blooming of flowers.
Dried herb.
Iridoid glycosides: verbenin, verbenalin, bastatoside, bitter principle,
tannin, volatile oil including citral, geraniol, limonene, verbenone,
mucilage, unidentified alkaloid and saponin.
Verbena is soothing herb which relieves from anxiety and stress.
Verbena herb is also used in treating depression, melancholia and
illnesses like influenza.
It is a relaxant herb used as remedy for asthma migraine, insomnia and
nervous coughing.
It possesses various properties such as sedative, nerve tonic,
thymoleptic, and relaxant, diaphoretic and hepatic.
As a traditional remedy verbena is being used for tooth decay, infected
gums and tonsillitis.
The poultice of vervain herb can be used for insect bite, bruises,
sprains and the ointments can be applied for wounds, eczema and sores.