Classification (APG IV)
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Plantaginaceae
Genus: Veronica
Species: Spiked speedwell - Veronica spicata L.

Botanical Description
Spiked Speedwell is a perennial, monoecious herbaceous plant from the family Plantaginaceae and genus Veronica. The plant reaches a height of 10 to 60 cm, with a sturdy, erect, and ascending stem covered in grayish hairs. Typically, it grows as a single unbranched stem but can form clumps with multiple branched stems, especially in cultivated varieties when the flower spikes are removed. Its rhizome is creeping and develops numerous deep-reaching fibrous roots.

The leaves are lanceolate to ovate-rounded, broadening at the base and ending in a blunt tip. They have serrated or toothed margins and are covered with hairs. Basal leaves are petiolate, while upper leaves are sessile. Leaf length ranges from 2 to 7 cm, with widths of 0.3 to 2.5 cm. The leaves are usually opposite along the stem but may alternate near the tip.

The flowers are bisexual and arranged in compact, cylindrical spikes that are 2 to 25 cm long. Smaller auxiliary flower spikes may form in the axils of upper leaves. The flowers have a calyx with four fused sepals of unequal length and fringed tips. The corolla is also fused, forming a tubular structure, with four lobes that are bright blue, less commonly pink, violet, or white. The corolla tube is about 2 mm long and hairy inside. The plant blooms from June to September, with flowers opening gradually from the base to the tip of the inflorescence.

The fruit is an ovate or spherical capsule covered with fine hairs and has a small notch at the apex. Seeds are ovate, blunt-tipped, and smooth. The plant propagates both by seeds and vegetatively through its rhizomes.

Distribution
Spiked Speedwell is distributed across most of Europe, Siberia, Central Asia, and North Africa. In Estonia, it is commonly found, particularly in northern and western regions. It thrives in drier habitats such as natural meadows, sandy soils, roadsides, gardens, and wastelands. The plant prefers sunny locations with calcareous soils.

Effects and Uses
Spiked Speedwell is valued for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It has traditionally been used as an expectorant for coughs and for gargling to soothe throat irritation. The plant exhibits chelating and free-radical scavenging activity due to its phytochemical composition, including essential oils containing phytol, heptacosane, pentacosane, and phenolic compounds.

Studies have identified its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, which make it a valuable herb for medicinal use. It is commonly employed as a component in herbal remedies for its soothing effects on respiratory and digestive ailments.

References
1. bio.edu.ee (n.d.). Spiked Speedwell. Retrieved from http://bio.edu.ee/taimed/oistaim/kassisaba2.htm
2. Raal, A. (2010). World Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Estonian Encyclopedia Publishers.
3. Krall, H., Kukk, T., Kull, T., Kuusk, V., Leht, M., et al. (2010). Estonian Flora Guide (Vol. 3). Estonian University of Life Sciences.
4. Garibaldi, A., Tabone, G., et al. (2022). "Leaf Spot Caused by Alternaria alternata on Veronica spicata in Italy." Plant Disease, 106(12), 3208.
5. Salehi, B., Shetty, M. S., et al. (2019). "Veronica plants—drifting from farm to traditional healing, food application, and phytopharmacology." Molecules, 24(13).
6. Dunkić, V., Kosalec, I., et al. (2015). "Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Veronica spicata L." Current Drug Targets, 16(14), 1660–1670.

Süstemaatiline kuuluvus (APG IV)
Riik: Taimed (Plantae)
Klaad: Soontaimed (Tracheophyta)
Klaad: Katteseemnetaimed (Angiospermae)
Klaad: Päriskaheidulehelised (Eudicotyledonae)
Selts: Iminõgeselaadsed (Lamiales)
Sugukond: Teelehelised (Plantaginaceae)
Perekond: Mailane (Veronica)
Liik: Kassisaba - Veronica spicata L.

Botaaniline kirjeldus
Kassisaba on mitmeaastane ühekojaline rohttaim teeleheliste sugukonnast, perekonnast mailane. Taime kõrgus varieerub (10) 15-40 (60) cm vahel. Taimel on püstine, tõusev tugev vars, mis on kaetud hallikate karvadega. Sageli esineb vaid üks harunemata vars, kuid moodustuda võivad ka mitmetest ja harunenud vartest koosnevad puhmikuid. (Eriti iluaianduses pärast moodustuva õisiku äranoppimist). Risoom on roomav ja küllaltki sügavale ulatuvate rohkete lisajuurtega. Lehed on süstjad kuni munajasümmargused, alusel laienevad ja tömbi tipuga, saagja või täkilise servaga. Alumised lehed on rootsuga, ülemised rootsuta, kõik kaetud karvadega. Lehtede pikkus jääb vahemikku 2-7 cm ja laius 0,3-2,5 cm. Lehed paiknedevad varrel enamasti vastakuti, tipuosas vahel vaheldumisi. [1-3]

Õied mõlemasugulised, kaheli õiekattega. Õied asetsevad lühikestel villkarvastel raagudel. Nii kroon kui ka tupp on liitlehised, kusjuures tupplehed on nelja erineva pikkusega ripsmelise tipuga ja karvased. Kroonlehed on neljajagused ja erksinised, harvemini roosad, violetid või valged, diameetriga kuni 7 mm. Kroonlehed moodustavad 2 mm pikkuse ja seest karvase putke. Õisik on tiheda rulja kujuga, 2-25 cm pikkuse teljega; mõnikord esinevad ülemiste lehtede kaenaldes ka külgmised õisikud. Taim õitseb juunist septembrini, õied avanevad järk-järgult õisiku alusest tipu suunas. [1-3]

Viljaks on äraspidimunajas või kerajas karvakestega kaetud kupar, mille tipul on väike sisselõige. Seemned on munajad, tömbi tipuga ja siledad. Paljundamine toimub nii seemnete kaudu kui ka risoomi abil. [1-3]

Levila
Liik on levinud peaaegu kogu Euroopas, Siberis, Kesk-Aasias ja Põhja-Aafrikas ning Eestis on selle esinemine sage, eelkõige Põhja- ja Lääne-Eestis. Taim eelistab kasvukohtadeks kuivemaid päris- ja looniite, teeservasid, aedu, jäätmaid – taim on kerge liivase pinnase indikaator. Kassisaba on valguslembene ja eelistab lubjarikast mulda. [1]

Toime ja kasutamine
Kassisaba kasutatakse tema antiseptiliste ning põletikuvastaste omaduste tõttu.  [4,5] Taime kasutatakse rögalahtistava preparaadina köha korral ja kurgu kuristamiseks. Lisaks on taimel tuvastatud kelaativ ja vabadest radikaalidest puhastav toime. Kassisabast eeterlikust õli sisaldab fütooli, heptakosaani ja pentakosaani ja mitmeid fenoolseid ühendeid. [6] 

Kasutatud allikad
1. bio.edu.ee (n.d.). kassisaba. bio.edu.ee. Vaadatud 20.11.2023, aadressil http://bio.edu.ee/taimed/oistaim/kassisaba2.htm
2. Raal, A. (2010). Maailma ravimtaimede entsüklopeedia. Eesti entsüklopeediakirjastus.
3. Krall, H., Kukk, T., Kull, T., Kuusk, V., Leht, M., Oja, T., Pihu, S., Reier, Ü., Zingel, H., & Tuulik, T. (2010). Eesti taimede määraja (M. Leht, Ed.; Vol. 3). Eesti Loodusfoto. 
4. Garibaldi, A., Tabone, G., Luongo, I., & Gullino, M. L. (2022). First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Alternaria alternata on Veronica spicata in Italy. In Plant Disease (Vol. 106, Issue 12, p. 3208). American Phytopathological Society. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01- 22-0095-PDN 
5. Salehi, B., Shetty, M. S., Anil Kumar, N. V., Živković, J., Calina, D., Docea, A. O., Emamzadeh-Yazdi, S., Kılıç, C. S., Goloshvili, T., Nicola, S., Pignata, G., Sharopov, F., Del Mar Contreras, M., Cho, W. C., Martins, N., & Sharifi-Rad, J. (2019). Veronica plants—drifting from farm to traditional healing, food application, and phytopharmacology. In Molecules (Vol. 24, Issue 13). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24132454 
6. Dunkić, V., Kosalec, I., Kosir, I. J., Potocnik, T., Cerenak, A., Koncic, M. Z., Vitali, D., Muller, I. D., Kopricanec, M., Bezic, N., Srecec, S., & Kremer, D. (2015). Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Properties of Veronica spicata L. (Plantaginaceae). Current drug targets, 16(14), 1660–1670. https://doi.org/10.2174/1389450116666150531161820