Asteraceae
Anthemis cotula
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Flower
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Petal
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7+ |
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Useful
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Herb |
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Mayweed Chamomile on:
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| Other Names for this Plant |
mather, dog- or hog's-fennel, dog-finkle, dog-daisy, pig-sty-daisy, chigger-weed, mayweed, maroute, Maruta cotula, Cotula Maruta foetida, Manzanilla loca, wild chamomile, Camomille puante. Foetid Chamomile or Mayweed, maithes, maithen, mathor mayweed chamomile, camomille des chiens, camomille puante, stinkende Hundskamille, camomila-de-cachorro, macéla-fétida, and manzanilla hedionda.
Mayweed chamomile is native to the Mediterranean region. Its European distribution extends to southern
Norway, central Sweden and southern Finland. Its
southern extent includes the Canary Islands, Egypt, and western Asia. This species has been introduced to the United States and Canada, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand
Its height varies from 12 inches (28 centimeters) to 24 inches (56 centimeters).
The leaves of the plant sometimes have very fine and soft hairs on the upper surface, although the plant is mostly hairless. There is no leaf stalk; leaves grow immediately from the stems. The leaves are pinnate in shape, with many extremely thin lobes, and can be around 1 or 2 inches long (2.5 to 5 centimeters).
Each stem is topped by a single flower head which is usually around 1 inch (2.34 centimeters) in diameter. The flower head is encompassed by between 10 and 18 white ray florets, each with a three-toothed shape; the florets tend to curve downwards around the edges and may occasionally have pistils, although these do not produce fruit. Beneath the flower proper, oval bracts of the plant form an involucre, with soft hairs on each; further bracts are bristled and sit at right angles to the flowers
The fruits are achenes (with no pappus). They are wrinkled, ribbed with ten ridges, and have small glandular bumps across the surface.
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What's This?
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Star Order (Daisies) |
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Main, Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Real, Two First-Leaves (Dicots) |
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Half Capsule Seed Division |
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Magnolia Division |
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Seed Plants |
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Multiple Spore Sub-Kingdom |
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Multicellular Land Plants |
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Cells with a Nucleus |
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In 1995, it could be found in almost all of the lower 48 states. Mayweed is an annual bushy, ill-scented herb; however, mayweed is highly attractive to ladybird beetles that feed on aphids.
Medicinal Uses: Mayweed is closely related to chamomile, but is far less effective as a medicine. It has been used as an antispasmodic and to induce menstruation and was traditionally used to treat supposedly hysterical conditions related to the uterus. It is rarely used in contemporary herbal medicine. The whole plant is antispasmodic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, emmenagogue and tonic. It is used internally as a tea, which can be made either from the flowers or the whole plant, though the flowers are less unpleasant and so are more commonly used. An infusion is used in the treatment of a variety of complaints such as rheumatism, epilepsy, asthma, colds and fevers. Applied externally, it is used as a poultice on piles or to draw splinters out of the body, and can also be applied to the bath water. The leaves are rubbed onto insect stings. Some people are allergic to the plant and this remedy could give them painful blisters. This herb is contraindicated for pregnant women or nursing mothers
Food Uses: The herb is used as a flavoring in Peru. It is aromatic. Caution is advised; there are some reports of toxicity. An herb tea is made from the flowers in a similar way to chamomile tea and it has a similar though weaker effect medicinally. The odor is not very pleasant and so it is not commonly used
Other Notes: A gold dye is obtained from the whole plant
Mayweed Chamomile
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Mayweed Chamomile
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Mayweed Chamomile
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Mayweed Chamomile
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| Comment:
Mayweed Chamomile, Anthemis cotula |
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