Matricaria chamomilla

Matricaria chamomilla (synonym: Matricaria recutita), commonly known as chamomile (also spelled camomile), German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile (kamilla), wild chamomile, blue chamomile, or scented mayweed, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae. Commonly, the name M. recutita is applied to the herbal product chamomile, although other species are also used as chamomile. The plant is commonly used to make a tea. M. chamomilla, historically used in various ancient cultures and commonly promoted today for a range of conditions, shows limited reliable evidence for effectiveness, may have mild side effects or drug interactions, and should be used with caution—especially around allergies, estrogen-sensitive conditions, and during pregnancy.

Description

A herb. It can grow each year from seeds or last for a few years. The stems are 30-40 cm tall. The lower leaves do not have stalks and oblong or sword shaped and 3-4 cm long by 2 cm wide. They are divided into segments. The flower heads are 1-2 cm across and white and yellow.

Edible Uses

The flowers are dried and brewed into tea, or eaten raw and added to salads, casseroles, and stir fries. The leaves are also dried for tea.

Traditional Uses

The flowers are used to make a nutritional drink. They are dried and used for a tea drink. They are also eaten raw and added to salads and used in casseroles and stir fries. The leaves are dried for tea drinks.

Medicinal Uses

Chamomile is commonly used to make a tea. German chamomile is used in herbal medicine. The flowers contain between 0.3 and 1.5% of the essential oil. It is extracted by distillation, mostly out of fresh flower buds and flower stalks. Bisabolol accounts for up to 33% of the oil's content. More than 120 chemical constituents have been identified in chamomile flower, most of them found in the essential oil. Chemical constituents of the essential oil include bisabolol, farnesene, chamazulene, apigenin, quercetin, patuletin, luteolin, and coumarin.

Known Hazards

It shows limited reliable evidence for effectiveness, may have mild side effects or drug interactions, and should be used with caution—especially around allergies, estrogen-sensitive conditions, and during pregnancy. Chamomile, a relative of ragweed, can cause allergy symptoms and can cross-react with ragweed pollen in individuals with ragweed allergies. Contact dermatitis may occur when touching the plant. When consuming the tea, there is potential for drug interactions with anticoagulants.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It grows in fields and forests between 1,800-3,300 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level. In Sichuan.

Where It Grows

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Canary Is., Caucasus, Central America, Central Asia, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Crete, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Europe*, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mali, Manchuria, Mediterranean, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, Serbia, Siberia, Sicily, Sinai, Slovakia, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Syria, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Xinjiang, Yugoslavia,

Cultivation

It can be grown by seeds sown directly or put in a nursery and transplanted. Because the seeds are very small they can be mixed with sand before sowing. Sowing 4-6 cm deep is suitable. A spacing of 20-30 cm is suitable.

Propagation

Seed - sow in situ. Germination should take place within 5 - 10 days

Other Uses

An infusion of the flowers is used as a hair shampoo, especially for fair hair. It is also used as a liquid feed and general plant tonic, effective against a number of plant diseases. The flowers are also an ingredient of 'Quick Return' herbal compost activator. The whole plant is very aromatic and was formerly used as a strewing herb. The whole plant is insect repellent. An essential oil obtained from the whole plant is used sparingly as a flavouring; also in perfumes, where it imparts pleasing and warm tonalities; as well as in shampoos, hair dyes and other cosmetics. Freshly distilled essential oil is blue, but exposed to light and air it gradually changes to green and finally brown. It has a strong characteristic odour and a bitter aromatic flavour. The constituents of the oil include sesquiterpenes, flavonoids and azulenes. Yellow to gold dyes are obtained from the flowers.

Other Information

It is widely cultivated.

Notes

It is rich in Vitamin A and C.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Babacya, Ciceki mast, Gvirila, Hermanek pravy, Kamille, Kamillean, Kamomili, Kummelid, Manzanilla, Papatya, Ramonki, Ramunek, Ramunukei, Romashka, Romashka aptechnaia, Rum'janok, Scented mayweed

References (31)

• Benvenuti, S. & Mazzoncini, M., 2021, The Biodiversity of Edible Flowers: Discovering New Tastes and New Health Benefits. Frontiers in Plant Science Article 569499.
• Blanco-Salas, J., et al, 2019, Wild Plants Potentially Used in Human Food in the Protected Area “Sierra Grande de Hornachos” of Extremadura (Spain). Sustainability 2019, 11, 456
• Bussman, R. W., et al, 2016, A comparative ethnobotany of Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:4
• Bussman, R. W., et al, 2021, Unity in diversity—food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2021) 17:72 p 6
• Cerne, M., 1992, Wild Plants from Slovenia used as Vegetables. Acta Horticulturae 318

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