Mayweed
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Read about Mayweed in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Matricaria (mater, mother, from its use in diseases). Compositae. Matricary. Wild Chamomile. Annual or perennial weedy herbs, often heavily scented. From Chrysanthemum it differs mostly in the achenes, which are 3-5-ribbed on the interior face and ribless on the back; also in having a higher or more conical receptacle, and bracts in few rather than many series. — About 25 species in many parts of the world. The foliage is much cut or divided into thread-like divisions. The matricarias are border plants in cult., and others are intro. weeds. They are commonly confounded with species of Chrysanthemum and feverfew. The M . exima plena of the trade is a form of Chrysanthemum Parthenium (var. tubulosum). It is a good hardy annual, with white double heads, growing 2 ft. tall. Matricarias demand the care given to annual chrysanthemums. The three following are annuals or biennials.
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 German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) | ||||||||||||
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Matricaria is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Some of the species have the common name of "mayweed," but this name also relates to plants not in this genus.
Most are very common in the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and America as well as in North Africa, and South Africa and some are naturalised in Australia. M. occidentalis is native in North America; other species are introduced.
These are hardy, pleasantly aromatic annuals, growing along roadsides, in ruderal soils, and fallow land, rich in nutrients. Many are considered nuisance weeds. However they are suitable for rock gardens, herb gardens and as border plants.
Their many-branched stems are prostrate to erect, glabrous and very leafy. Their bipinnate leaves have numerous linear, narrowly lobed leaflets.
The flowers are radially symmetrical.The greenish yellow capitula are semi-spherical. The white ray florets can be present (M. recutita) or lacking (M. discoidea). The disc florets are 4- to 5-dentate. The receptacle is 2-3 times as high as wide. The pappus may be crown-shaped and short, or lacking.
Matricaria species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Lime-speck Pug.
The extracts of German Chamomile (M. recutita) are taken as a strong tea, safe for human consumption. It has been ascribed in herbal medicine to be carminative and anti-inflammatory. It is also used in ointments, lotions, and as a mouthwash against infections of mouth and gums. In aromatherapy use 2 essential oils of Chamomile: the "true chamomille" oil (from M. recutita) and the Roman Chamomile oil (from Anthemis nobilis). The essential oils are fully different in main chemical components - bisabolol oxide A, hamasulene, bisobolol oxide B, alpha-bisabolol, bisabolene oxide for "true chamomille" oil and Amyl Butyrate, Butyl Angelate, Amyl Angelate for Roman Chamomile oil. So the aromatherapy use is different for the two varieties. The taxonomy of Matricaria is controversial and very confused. Several species are classified in Tripleurospermum or Matricaria, depending on the interpretation of the author. The distinction is made according to the number of the seed ribs : Tripleurospermum has one adaxial and two lateral seed ribs, while Matricaria has 4 or 5 adaxial seed ribs.
Species
- Matricaria acutiloba
- Matricaria albida
- Matricaria arabica
- Matricaria arlgirdensis
- Matricaria auriculata
- Matricaria brachyglossa
- Matricaria burchellii
- Matricaria capitellata
- Matricaria caucasica
- Matricaria confusa
- Matricaria conoclinia
- Matricaria coreana
- Matricaria corymbifera
- Matricaria courrantiana: Crown Mayweed
- Matricaria decipiens
- Matricaria dichotoma
- Matricaria discoidea : Disc Mayweed (synonym of Chamomilla suaveolens (Pursh) Rydb.)
- Matricaria fuscata
- Matricaria glabra (synonym of Otospermum glabrum (Lag.) Willk.)
- Matricaria glabrata
- Matricaria globifera
- Matricaria grandiflora
- Matricaria heterocarpa
- Matricaria hirsutifolia
- Matricaria hirta
- Matricaria hispida
- Matricaria inodora (synonym of Matricaria perforata Mérat)
- Matricaria intermedia
- Matricaria lamellata
- Matricaria lasiocarpa
- Matricaria laxa
- Matricaria macrotis
- Matricaria maritima
- Matricaria maritima f. coronata
- Matricaria maritima ssp. maritima
- Matricaria maritima ssp. phaeocephala
- Matricaria maritima ssp. subpolaris
- Matricaria matricarioides : Pineapple Weed; Rounded Chamomile (synonym of Chamomilla suaveolens (Pursh) Rydb.)
- Matricaria melanophylla
- Matricaria microcephala
- Matricaria nigellifolia
- Matricaria occidentalis : Valley Mayweed
- Matricaria otaviensis
- Matricaria parvilfora
- Matricaria perforata : Scentless Mayweed
- Matricaria pinnatifida
- Matricaria praecox (synonym of Matricaria parviflora (Willd.) Poir.)
- Matricaria recutita : German Chamomile, Scented Mayweed, Wild Chamomile, Common Chamomile
- Matricaria raddeana
- Matricaria rosella
- Matricaria schinzinna
- Matricaria spathipappus
- Matricaria subglobosa
- Matricaria suffruticosa
- Matricaria tempskyana
- Matricaria trichophylla
- Matricaria tridentata
- Matricaria tzvelevii (synonym of Chamomilla tzvelevii (Pobed.) Rauschert)
See also