Matricaria chamomilla
Matricaria
German chamomile, matricaire camomille, scented mayweed, sweet false chamomile, wild chamomile
chamomile, chamomille, matricaire, matricaria, matricary, mayweed
1–8+, erect or ascending, branched distally.
1–10+, usually erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent, branched or not, glabrous or glabrate to sparsely hairy (hairs basifixed).
blades 5–78 × 3–18 mm.
(not marcescent) basal (soon withering) and cauline; alternate; subpetiolate or sessile;
blades spatulate to oblong or ovate (bases sheathing or clasping, often pinnately auriculate), (1–)2–3-pinnately lobed (lobes linear, often curved distally), ultimate margins entire (± recurved), mucronate, faces glabrous or glabrate to sparsely hairy (hairs basifixed).
(5–)20–50(–75+) mm.
2–3.2 mm.
patelliform, 4–14 mm diam.
(with reddish brown, longitudinal mucilaginous glands), 4–6 mm, acute to obtuse.
conic to oblong-ovoid [subulate] (hollow), epaleate.
[1] (10–)14–26;
corollas white, tubes narrowly winged, laminae soon deflexed, 7–8.5 × 2.4–3.3 mm.
0 or 10–22, pistillate, fertile;
corollas white, laminae elliptic-ovate.
250–570+;
corollas yellow to greenish yellow, 1.6–1.8 mm, lobes 5.
120–750+, bisexual, fertile;
corollas (persisting in fruit, often slightly asymmetric, sometimes with scattered, sessile, golden glands) yellow to greenish yellow or yellowish green, tubes (± dilated), throats urceolate to campanulate, lobes 4–5 (spreading), deltate [with resin sacs].
34–42+ in 3 series, margins entire or distally erose.
persistent, 25–50 in [2–]3–4[–5] series, distinct, oblong or ovate to spatulate or linear-spatulate (membranous, not carinate, bases not indurate), subequal, margins and apices (hyaline) scarious (apices rounded to obtuse).
radiate, (1–)8–120(–900), borne singly.
radiate or discoid, borne singly or in open, corymbiform arrays.
tan, obconic, 0.75–0.9 mm, ribs white, 3 abaxial, 2 nearly marginal, faces glandular;
pappi usually 0, sometimes coroniform (entire or lobed) or (ray florets) toothed auricles as long as or longer than cypselae [minute crowns].
obconic, slightly compressed (usually asymmetric, apices oblique), ribs [3–]5, faces glabrous, smooth between ribs (pericarps sometimes with myxogenic cells abaxially and/or in ribs; embryo sac development monosporic);
pappi 0, coroniform, or (sometimes on ray cypselae) adaxial auricles.
obovoid or spheroid to ovoid, 5–7 × 5–9.5 mm.
= 9.
= 18.
Matricaria chamomilla
Matricaria
Matricaria chamomilla has numerous, and ages-old, usages, particularly as herb tea, as a natural medicine, and for pharmaceutical extracts. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-allergic, and sedative properties. It is grown commercially on all continents. Reports for New Brunswick have not been confirmed, all specimens having been redetermined to Anthemis cotula (H. R. Hinds 2000). Although the name Matricaria chamomilla has been considered to be misapplied (e.g., S. Rauschert 1974; A. Cronquist 1994; E. G. Voss 1972–1996, vol. 3), W. L. Applequist (2002) argued convincingly that the name is indeed correctly applied to the taxon described here. Among the North American material, specimens with coronate ray cypselae (var. chamomilla), or wholly without coronas [var. recutita (Linnaeus) Grierson] have been encountered but none with fully coronate cypselae (var. coronata J. Gay ex Boissier), even though synonymy under this name includes M. courrantiana, reported for Texas and New Mexico (specimens not seen). The varieties may not be worth recognizing (Applequist; Q. O. N. Kay 1976) and are not treated formally here.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Species 7 (3 in the flora).
Matricaria has been confused with Tripleurospermum (see discussion under the latter). Typification of Matricaria was discussed by K. Bremer and C. J. Humphries (1993), who rejected the arguments of S. Rauschert (1974) in favor of the use of Chamomilla over Matricaria.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Heads radiate (ray corollas white); disc corollas yellow to greenish yellow, lobes 5; cypselae 0.75–0.9 mm; pappi usually 0, sometimes coroniform (entire or lobed) or (on ray cypselae) each a toothed auricle | M. chamomilla |
1. Heads discoid; disc corollas greenish yellow, lobes 4(–5); cypselae 1–1.5 mm (ribs, at least 2 lateral, each with longitudinal mucilage gland); pappi coroniform, entire or lobed | → 2 |
2. Heads (1–)4–50(–300); discs 4–7(–11) × 4–7.5(–10) mm; cypselae: 2 lateral ribs each with mucilage gland along ± entire length; pappi coroniform, entire; plants aromatic (pineapple odor when bruised); stems 1–10+, usually erect or ascending, sometimes decumbent, branched from bases | M. discoidea |
2. Heads 1–15+; discs 5–12.5 × 6–14 mm; cypselae: 2 lateral ribs each with mucilage gland in distal 1/2 (glands expanding into lobes); pappi coroniform, lobed (lobes 2, abaxio-lateral); plants not notably aromatic; stems usually erect, sometimes ascending, simple or branched mostly distally, sometimes proximally (then ascending) | M. occidentalis |
- Local floras:
BC, 
CA, 
OR, 
WA - Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos,
Flora NW, 
Go Botany, 
IL Wildflowers, 
KS Wildflowers, 
MD Biodiversity, 
MI Flora, 
MN Wildflowers, 
MO Plants, 
PNW Herbaria 
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database- LBJ Wildflower Center
- SEINet
- Plants of the World Online
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Wikipedia
- Google Image Search
