Lithospermum officinale, or common gromwell or European stoneseed, is a flowering plant species in the family Boraginaceae, native to Eurasia.

The greenish white, funnel-shaped flowers, appearing June – July, measure 3 – 4 mm across and are borne in short, dense cymose clusters within the leaf axils.

In India for example, the leaves were once used as a sedative, while the seeds have been administered as a diuretic, lithotritic, febrifuge, anti-gout, anti-ovulary and anti-toxic agent as well as an anti-inflammatory for diseases of the urinary tract and for promoting digestion.

The plant has been found to be a potent natural anti-inflammatory and effective agent for healing burn wounds when applied topically, which explains the presence of this species in the poultice discovered.

Their lustrous, porcelain-like appearance as well as their hardness also made them suitable and popular for use as beads in Bulgaria and central Europe as far back as the Neolithic period.