Chrysanthemum morifolium

Ramat.

Chrysanthemum, Spider mum

Asteraceae Edible: Leaves, Flowers, Spice, Tea 7,982 iNaturalist observations

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Description

A perennial herb 30-130 cm tall in the family Asteraceae, cultivated as a food plant and sold in local markets in China, particularly in Yunnan.

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Edible Uses

The leaves and flowers are eaten in soups and can be pan-fried; the flowers are also brewed as herbal tea and used as a spice.

Traditional Uses

The leaves and flowers are eaten in soups. The flowers are also pan fried. They are also used for herbal teas.

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Medicinal Uses

Chrysanthemum flowers, known in China as Ju Hua, are a bitter aromatic herb that has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine. The flower heads are drunk as a refreshing tisane and are used to improve vision, soothe sore eyes, relieve headaches, counter infections etc. They are antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, carminative, depurative, diaphoretic, febrifuge, ophthalmic, refrigerant and sedative. Taken internally they dilate the coronary artery, thus increasing the flow of blood to the heart, and so are used in the treatment of hypertension, coronary heart diseases and angina. The flowers are harvested when fully open in the autumn and are dried for later use. In China they are steamed before being dried to make them less bitter. The leaf juice is smeared onto wounds.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Asia, Central Asia, China, Fiji, India, Japan, Korea, Pacific, Rotuma, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan,

Cultivation

The cultivated chrysanthemum is commonly grown as an ornamental flowering plant. Although temperate in origin, it grows successfully in the tropics and is often grown in southeast Asia.This species is not fully hardy in Britain, many of its cultivars requiring greenhouse protection in the colder areas of the country. Succeeds in most well-drained fertile soils in a sunny position. The chrysanthemum is widely cultivated as an ornamental flowering plant. It is an enormous hybrid complex developed over many centuries (a Chinese account published in 1630 listed over 500 cultivars) into the huge array of ornamental cultivars available today. The primary parental species is Chrysanthemum indicum, but the other parents are now obscure. The plant can flower all year round in warmer gardens.

Propagation

Seed - sow in a container and only just cover the seed. It usually germinates in 10 - 18 days at 15°c but if it does not germinate within 4 weeks then try chilling the seed for 3 weeks in the salad compartment of a fridge. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out when large enough. This is a hybrid species and so will not breed true from seed. Division. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on until they are rooting well.

Other Uses

Plants have been grown indoors in pots in order to help remove toxins from the atmosphere. It is especially good at removing chemical vapours, especially formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia.

Other Information

It is a cultivated food plant. It is sold in local markets in China.

Notes

There are about 20-40 Chrysanthemum species and many cultivated varieties. Chemical composition (flowers): Protein = 1.9%. Fat = 0.91%. Carbohydrate = 5.3%%. Ash = 0.66%.

Synonyms

Anthemis artemisifolia Willd.Anthemis grandiflora Ramat.Anthemis stipulacea MoenchChrysanthemum hortorum W. Mill.Chrysanthemum maximoviczianum LingChrysanthemum morifolium var. sinense (Sabine) MakinoChrysanthemum procumbens BlumeChrysanthemum sabini Lindl.Chrysanthemum sinense Sabine ex SweetChrysanthemum sinense SabineChrysanthemum stipulaceum (Moench)Dendranthema sinensis (Sabine) Des Moul.Matricaria morifolia (Ramat.) Ramat.Pyrethrum sinense DCTanacetum sinense (Sabine) Sch.Bip.

Also Known As

Edible chrysanthemum, Gukhwa, Ju hua, Mulberry-leaved chrysanthemum, Ryori-giku

References (13)

Arora, R. K., 2014, Diversity in Underutilized Plant Species - An Asia-Pacific Perspective. Bioversity International. p 38 (As Chrysanthemum sinense)
Famine foods (As Chrysanthemum sinense)
Hui, Y. H., Handbook of Food Science, Technology, and Engineering. Volume 2. Table 98:8
Kim, H. & Song, M., 2013, Ethnobotanical analysis for traditional knowledge of wild edible plants in North Jeolla Province (Korea). Genetic. Resour. Crop Evol. (2013) 60:1571-1585
Li, D. et al, 2017, Ethnobotanical survey of herbal tea plants from the traditional markets in Chaoshan, China. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 205 (2017) 195-206

Show all 13 references

Lim, T. K., Edible Medicinal and Non-Medicinal Plants Volume 7 Flowers
Liu, Yi-tao, & Long, Chun-Lin, 2002, Studies on Edible Flowers Consumed by Ethnic Groups in Yunnan. Acta Botanica Yunnanica. 24(1):41-56
Purseglove, J.W., 1968, Tropical Crops Dicotyledons, Longmans. p 58 (As Chrysanthemum sinense)
READ (As Chrysanthemum sinense)
Trans. Linn. Soc. London 14:145. 1825 (As Chrysanthemum sinense)
van Wyk, B., 2005, Food Plants of the World. An illustrated guide. Timber press. p 131 (As Chrysanthemum x morifolium)
Zeng, Y., et al, 2014, Evaluation of antioxidant activities of extracts from 19 Chinese edible flowers. SpringerPlus 2014, 3:315
Zeven, A. C. & de West, J. M. J., 1982, Dictionary of cultivated plants and their regions of diversity. Wageningen. p 34 (As Chrysanthemum sinense)