GERMANDER

(Teucrium micropodioides)

Appearance

A mildly aromatic white felted perennial shrublet with a compact domed shape. Leaves are small and cottony. The flowers, which appear between April and July, are purplish or reddish in colour forming dense, stalk-less heads. Fruit egg-shaped nutlets .

Habitat

A rather common endemic species that grows in dry rocky areas, derelict land, clearings in forests and, less commonly, on sandy seashores from sea-level to 2,800 ft. Another member of the garigue.

Uses and Properties

Widely employed in Cypriot folk medicine. Stomach aches were helped with an infusion prepared from leaves and flower heads. Also used against jaundice and liver bile disorders. Its medicinal properties can be attributed to its high content of tannin, essential oils, balsamatic and other aromatic compounds.