Edith Sherwood Ph.D. and Erica Sherwood

The Voynich Botanical Plants

Folio 43r Back to Plant List
folio 43r

Folio 43r, Chickweed (Stellaria media), is an annual plant native to Europe. It germinates in the fall or late winter, rapidly forming large mats of foliage. The smooth, pale-green leaves are egg-shaped and the single, small, white flowers sprout from the axils of the upper leaves. The petals are narrow and deeply cleft. The fresh leaves were used to make a poultice to treat inflammation and ulcers. The seeds are eaten by chickens, hence the name chickweed.