Teucrium massiliense
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643feef3b8d62774413359 |
| Scientific name | Teucrium massiliense |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. ed. 2 : 789 (1763) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Teucrium massiliense (L.)—the Mediterranean “Germandrée de Marseille”—is recorded in ethnobotanical accounts as a medicinal plant whose aerial parts are most often prepared as infusions or decoctions for digestive complaints and fevers. In the Rif region of Morocco, dried aerial parts are infused as a tea to ease gastritis and upset stomach (Bennissa et al., 2014). In the Lebanese Levant, aerial-part decoctions are taken for fever and digestive distress (Al‑Khaled et al., 2004). Along the Provençal coast of France, both infusions and decoctions of the same herb are noted in pharmacognosy texts as household remedies for mild indigestion (Bruneton, 1999). Across these regions, the practice typically involves steeping or simmering the flowers, leaves, and tender stems; bark or roots are not reported in these preparations. These preparations contrast with European pharmacopeial traditions of the later 20th century, which often cited aerial parts but cautioned against regular use because of safety concerns.
A practical, short-term preparation is a mild tea. Measure roughly 1.5 to 2.0 g of dried aerial parts (flowers, leaves, and tender stems) into a heat‑proof cup. Pour 200 ml of just‑boiled water over the material, cover, and steep 8–10 minutes; strain. Use this amount no more than once daily for 3–5 days. Because species in the Teucrium section Polium contain neoclerodane diterpenoids that can be hepatotoxic at higher or prolonged exposures, do not use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and do not exceed the recommended steep time or dose. Discontinue if you notice nausea, dark urine, or fatigue, and seek medical advice if symptoms persist.
Well‑established constituents isolated from Teucrium massiliense and other Polium taxa include flavonoids such as apigenin, luteolin, and their glycosides; phenolic acids like caffeic and rosmarinic acids; flavonoids in glycosidic forms; and neoclerodane diterpenoids such as teucrin A and teuchamaedryn B (Venturella et al., 1995; Piozzi et al., 2001). These compounds plausibly underpin the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects reported in vitro and the mild antispasmodic actions described in traditional preparations.
Modern relevance is modest: T. massiliense is not commonly available as a standardized herbal product in commerce because of recognized safety concerns, but it continues to feature in ethnobotanical field notes and in pharmacological studies exploring its antimicrobial, antispasmodic, and anti‑inflammatory properties (Al‑Khaled et al., 2004; Bennissa et al., 2014).
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Scorodonia cordata | Moench | Methodus : 385 (1794) |
| Scorodonia massiliensis | Link | Handbuch 1: 458 (1829) |
| Teucrium cuspidatum | Čelak. | Bot. Centralbl. 4(14): 222. 1883 |
| Teucrium odoratum | Lam. | Fl. Franç. 2: 413 (1779) |
| Teucrium massiliense subvar. lanceolatum | Litard. | Prodr. Fl. Corse 3(2): 152 (1955) |
Germination/Propagation Top
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No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Europe click to expand
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Southeastern Europe
- Kriti
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Southwestern Europe
- Corse
- France
- Sardegna
- Spain
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Southeastern Europe
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000322318 |
| Tropicos | 17603599 |
| INPN | 126007 |
| Flora of Italy | 4429 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:460546-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-203101 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 5232643 |
| Observations.org | 133682 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 1209871 |
| IPNI | 460546-1 |
| GBIF | 3895361 |
| EPPO | TEUMA |
| Elurikkus | 435580 |
| USDA GRIN | 36416 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characterization of Essential Oils from Different Taxa Belonging to the Genus Teucrium in Sardinia Island, Italy | Maccioni A, Falconieri D, Sanna C, Porcedda S, Piras A, Maxia A | Plants (Basel) | 02-Jul-2021 |
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| Clerodane diterpenes: sources, structures, and biological activities | Li R, Morris-Natschke SL, Lee KH | Nat Prod Rep | 18-Jul-2016 |
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| Neo-clerodane diterpenoids from Teucrium massiliense | Giuseppe Savona, Maurizio Bruno, Franco Piozzi, Orietta Servettaz, Benjamín Rodríguez | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Neo-clerodane diterpenes from Teucrium species | Maurizio Bruno, Franco Piozzi, Benjamín Rodríguez, Giuseppe Savona, María C. de la Torre, Orietta Servettaz | Elsevier BV | 25-Jul-2002 |
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| Neoclerodane diterpenoids from teucrium massiliense. | Fontana G, Paternostro MP, Savona G, Rodriguez B, de la Torre MC | J Nat Prod | 01-Oct-1998 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |