Τσούννα, Κλαμούρα, Φλόμος, Βερμπάσκο το κολπωτό
Etymology of Verbascum sinuatum: "Verbascum", the genus name, is a corruption of the Latin verb "barbesco", meaning "to get a beard". Hence verbascum means "beardy" referring to the hairy surfaces of the leaves, stems and bracts of this plant. Latin "sinuatum" means "bent, bent into a curve, curved", referring to the basal leaves of which the margins are irregularly undulate (wavy).
It is a biennial plant, reaching a height of up to 1.5 meters, with an upright central stem, branched and slightly fluffy. The leaves are small, oval, with golden yellow hair. It produces many yellow flowers with 5 petals and 5 sepals and with red glands. The fruit is a capsule.
It is a medicinal plant and in earlier times it was used as a drug to catch eels in rivers and fish in the sea. The flowers and root of the plant were used in empirical medicine, especially to treat infections. The ancient Greeks prepared from the root of the plant medicine against diarrhea and eye diseases. In earlier times, the villagers also fed their animals with this plant, to treat animal diseases.
Verbascum sinuatum is found all around the island of Cyprus, from the coast up to an altitude of approximately 700 meters. It primarily grows on roadsides and secondarily on rocky places. It blooms between April and July.
