# Wall germander

*Teucrium chamaedrys*

Historically used as a traditional folk remedy for gout and weight loss, it was banned in several countries in the late 20th century due to causing acute liver injury.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Lamiales › Lamiaceae › Teucrium
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Dry, calcareous grasslands, rocky limestone slopes, scrublands, and open, sunny woodlands.
- **Diet:** Autotrophic (photosynthetic, utilizing sunlight, water, and alkaline, nutrient-poor soils).
- **Range:** Mediterranean Basin, Southern Europe, Western Asia, Northern Africa
- **Size:** 10 to 30 cm in height, forming low spreading mounds up to 60 cm wide.
- **Lifespan:** 5 to 10 years (perennial subshrub)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat destruction, urban development, and agricultural intensification of dry grasslands.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless to touch and appreciate. Wall germander is safe to observe closely and has a pleasant, aromatic scent. However, do not ingest any part of the plant, as it contains diterpenes that can cause severe liver damage (hepatotoxicity) if consumed.

## About

Teucrium chamaedrys , the wall germander , is a species of ornamental plant native to Mediterranean region of Europe and North Africa, and to the Middle East as far east as Iran. It was historically used as a medicinal herb for the treatment of gout and sometimes as a component of Venice treacle.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/db42aca6-3f7c-4152-93f1-a5e8b2231c4e
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55717
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teucrium chamaedrys
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/289599945/medium.jpeg (Ljaž, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.