Glebionis segetum

Glebionis segetum (syn. Chrysanthemum segetum) is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, probably native only to the eastern Mediterranean region but now naturalized in western and northern Europe as well as China and parts of North America. Common names include corn marigold and corn daisy. Glebionis segetum has been hybridized with related Argyranthemum species to create cultivars of garden marguerites. Glebionis segetum is a herbaceous annual plant growing to 80 cm tall, with spirally arranged, deeply lobed leaves 5–20 cm long. The flowers are bright yellow, produced in capitula (flowerheads) 3.5-5.5 cm in diameter, with a ring of ray florets and a centre of disc florets. Glebionis segetum is widely naturalised outside of its native range, colonising western and central Europe with early human agriculture; it can be an invasive weed in some areas. However, it also was ranked very highly, in terms of nectar production, thus showing particular value in the role of nectar-provider for insects in a UK survey of meadow species' production of nectar sugar and pollen. Glebionis segetum was practically an exact equivalent in terms of how much nectar and pollen it produced in this study with the popular garden and meadow plant, cornflower Centaurea cyanus — the top producer of nectar sugar among the cultivated plants in the study (as opposed to those classified as weeds). Its long blooming period helps its ranking, as it does not have few flowers with very high nectar volume per flower — coupled with a brief blooming period that completely exhausts the plant, like some top-ranked plants in nectar sugar production surveys (e.g. Bull Thistle, Cirsium vulgare). The plant strongly attracts very small butterflies (such as the Pearl Crescent) and also small hoverflies such as Toxomerus marginatus. Japanese beetles will consume the petals. The corn marigold appears to have been a serious weed during the 13th century in Scotland, as suggested by a law of Alexander II which states that if a farmer allows so much as a single plant to produce seed in amongst his crops, then he will be fined a sheep. In Crete and Greece, the leaves and the tender shoots of a variety called neromantilida (νερομαντηλίδα) are eaten raw in salads or browned in hot olive oil by the locals.

Description

A plant about 0.5-0.8 m high. It spreads to about 30 cm across. It is an annual plant. The leaves are grey green. They are oblong and 3-5 cm long. The leaves near the tips are entire but nearer the base they are divided. The flower heads occur singly and are daisy like and yellow. They are 5 cm across.

Edible Uses

The young shoots are eaten cooked or raw.

Traditional Uses

The young shoots are used cooked or raw. CAUTION: It may contain coumarin which stops blood coagulating.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Known Hazards

The plant contains coumarin, which may inhibit blood coagulation.

Distribution

It suits Mediterranean regions. It occurs on soils where lime has not been added. It does well in sandy soils. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Africa, Algeria, Asia, Australia, Britain, Central Asia, China, Crete, Cyprus, Europe, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Luxembourg, Mediterranean*, Middle East, Morocco, New Zealand, North Africa, North America, Pacific, Portugal, SE Asia, Spain, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Türkiye, USA,

Cultivation

They are grown from seed sown where the plants are to grow. Seed germinate in 10-18 days at 15°C.

Production

It grows quickly.

Other Information

Cultivated as a vegetable.

Notes

Plant contains the aromatic element cumarin. There are about 20-40 Chrysanthemum species and many cultivated varieties.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Cucuddhaci, Cucuddho, Fior gialle, Sari papatya, Similia, Tung hao

References (25)

• Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 38 (As Chrysanthemum segetum)
• Biscotti, N. et al, 2018, The traditional food use of wild vegetables in Apulia (Italy) in the light of Italian ethnobotanical literature. Italian Botanist 5:1-24
• Blamey, M and Grey-Wilson, C., 2005, Wild flowers of the Mediterranean. A & C Black London. p 444 (As Chrysanthemum segetum)
• Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 266 (As Chrysanthemum segetum)
• Della, A., et al, 2006, An ethnobotanical survey of wild edible plants of Paphos and Larnaca countryside of Cyprus. J. Ethnobiol. Ethnomed. 2:34 (As Chrysanthemum segetum)

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