WorldFloraDB - Matricaria chamomilla

Characteristics

Plants to c. 60 cm high, glabrous. Leaves to c. 7 cm long; segments linear. Capitula solitary or few, radiate, 10–25 mm diam.; peduncle 3–9 cm long; involucre 2–3 mm long; inner bracts with hyaline extension c. 0.5 mm long; mature receptacle ovoid. Ray florets 9–15; ligule 6–10 mm long, white. Disc florets: corolla c. 1.5 mm long; tube c. as long as and slightly narrower than limb; limb 5-lobed, yellow. Achenes obovoid, 1.0 mm long, c. 0.8 mm wide. Pappus of ray achenes an oblong scale c. 1 mm long; pappus of disc achenes a minute scarious rim.

More

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.

Life form

annual

Growth form

herb

Growth support

free-standing

Foliage retention

deciduous

Sexuality

hermaphrodite

Pollination

entomogamy

Spread

barochory

Mature width (meter)

0.1 - 0.5

Mature height (meter)

0.35 - 0.5

Root system

-

Rooting depth (meter)

-

Root diameter (meter)

-

Flower color

Blooming months

Jan	Feb	Mar
Apr	May	Jun
Jul	Aug	Sep
Oct	Nov	Dec

Fruit color

-

Fruiting months

-

Nitrogen fixer

-

Photosynthetic pathway

c3

Environment

Sandy or loamy arable soils in Britain. Also found on saline steppes in Europe. A weedy species, preferring sunny sites (slightly shaded sites are tolerated) and found on wasteland, roadsides and fields.

More

Sandy or loamy arable soils in Britain. Also found on saline steppes in Europe. A weedy species, preferring sunny sites (slightly shaded sites are tolerated) and found on wasteland, roadsides and fields.

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.

Grows in disturbed sites, usually on roadsides.

Light
Soil humidity
Soil texture	-
Soil acidity
Soil nutriment
Hardiness (USDA)

Usage

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

Uses	animal food dye essential oil food food additive material medicinal social use
Edible	flowers leaves
Therapeutic use	Anthelmintics (flower), Anticonvulsants (flower), Anti-infective agents, local (flower), Anti-inflammatory agents (flower), Antineoplastic agents (flower), Antioxidants (flower), Antipyretics (flower), Chest pain (flower), Common cold (flower), Contusions (flower), Cough (flower), Dentition (flower), Diabetes mellitus (flower), Diuretics (flower), Dyspepsia (flower), Earache (flower), Eczema (flower), Emetics (flower), Endophthalmitis (flower), Expectorants (flower), Fever (flower), Flatulence (flower), Gonorrhea (flower), Headache (flower), Hemorrhoids (flower), Hypnotics and sedatives (flower), Hysteria (flower), Inflammation (flower), Neuralgia (flower), Neurotic disorders (flower), Oligospermia (flower), Parasympatholytics (flower), General tonic for rejuvenation (flower), Scabies (flower), Skin diseases (flower), Stomach diseases (flower), Wounds and injuries (flower), Child health (flower), Urethral diseases (flower), Rheumatoid arthritis (flower), Anti-bacterial agents (leaf), Genital diseases, female (leaf), Colic (seed), Ache(Ear) (unspecified), Ache(Stomach) (unspecified), Anodyne (unspecified), Antiphlogistic (unspecified), Antiseptic (unspecified), Bruise (unspecified), Cancer (unspecified), Cancer(Liver) (unspecified), Carminative (unspecified), Cicatrizant (unspecified), Colic (unspecified), Convulsion (unspecified), Debility (unspecified), Dentition (unspecified), Diaphoretic (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Digestive (unspecified), Discutient (unspecified), Diuretic (unspecified), Emollient (unspecified), Expectorant (unspecified), Fever (unspecified), Gastritis (unspecified), Hair-Wash (unspecified), Hysteria (unspecified), Inflammation (unspecified), Intestinal tonic (unspecified), Liqueur (unspecified), Malaria (unspecified), Nerves (unspecified), Nervine (unspecified), Neuralgia (unspecified), Piles (unspecified), Sclerosis (unspecified), Sedative (unspecified), Sore (unspecified), Spasm (unspecified), Stimulant (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Sudorific (unspecified), Tea (unspecified), Tonic (unspecified), Tumor(Intestine) (unspecified), Vermifuge (unspecified), Wound (unspecified), Poultice (unspecified), Depurative (unspecified), Eczema (unspecified), Perfume (unspecified), Shampoo (unspecified), Stomach (unspecified), Analgesics (unspecified), Anthelmintics (unspecified), Anticonvulsants (unspecified), Anti-infective agents (unspecified), Anti-infective agents, local (unspecified), Anti-inflammatory agents (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (unspecified), Asthenia (unspecified), Conscious sedation (unspecified), Digestive system diseases (unspecified), Diuretics (unspecified), Dysmenorrhea (unspecified), Expectorants (unspecified), Fistula (unspecified), Flatulence (unspecified), Hypnotics and sedatives (unspecified), Impetigo (unspecified), Jaundice (unspecified), Labor pain (unspecified), Metrorrhagia (unspecified), Muscle cramp (unspecified), Parasympatholytics (unspecified), Pruritus (unspecified), Stomach diseases (unspecified), Tooth diseases (unspecified), Toothache (unspecified), Wounds and injuries (unspecified), Child health (unspecified), Antirheumatic agents (whole plant), Appetite stimulants (whole plant), Colic (whole plant), Flatulence (whole plant), Insect repellents (whole plant)
Human toxicity	allergenic (whole)
Animal toxicity	-

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.

Mode	seedlings
Germination duration (days)	5 - 21
Germination temperacture (C°)	18 - 23
Germination luminosity	light
Germination treatment	-
Minimum temperature (C°)	-
Optimum temperature (C°)	-
Size	-
Vigor	-
Productivity	-