Anthemis cotula

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Anthemis cotula
ANTHEMIS cotula Kohler.png
Stinking chamomile [1]
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Anthemis
Species:
A. cotula
Binomial name
Anthemis cotula
L., (1753) not Blanco 1837
Synonyms [2] [3] [4] [5]
  • Anthemis foetidaLam.
  • Anthemis psorospermaTen.
  • Anthemis ramosaLink ex Spreng.
  • Chamaemelum cotula(L.) All.
  • Maruta cotula(L.) DC.
  • Maruta foetidaCass.

Anthemis cotula, also known as stinking chamomile, or mayweed, [6] is a flowering annual plant with a noticeable and strong odor. The odor is often considered unpleasant, and it is from this that it gains the common epithet "stinking". In pre-colonial times, its distribution was limited to the Old Continent and Africa; though it was established in most of Europe, it was not present in Finland, Ireland, or the northernmost reaches of Scotland, in spite of the fact that these countries feature climatic regions favorable to this plant and are in proximity to countries where the species is native, such as Russia, Estonia, Lithuania and England. It has successfully migrated to the American continents [7] where it can be found growing in meadows, alongside roads, and in fields. [8]

Contents

The name "cotula" is the Latin form [9] of κοτύληkotylē, the Greek word for "small cup", [10] describing the shape of the flowers; it was assigned by Carl Linnaeus in his work Species Plantarum in 1753. [11]

Anthemis cotula is also known by a wide variety of other names, including mather, dog- or hog's-fennel, dog-finkle, dog-daisy, pig-sty-daisy, chigger-weed, [8] mayweed, Johnnyweed, maroute, Maruta cotula, Cotula Maruta foetida, Manzanilla loca, wild chamomile, Camomille puante. Foetid Chamomile, maithes, maithen, mathor [12] mayweed chamomile, camomille des chiens, camomille puante, stinkende Hundskamille, camomila-de-cachorro, macéla-fétida, and manzanilla hedionda.

Description

The "stinking chamomile" Anthemis cotula is so-named for its resemblance to the true chamomile plant, Anthemis nobilis ; both have branching upright stems each topped by a single large flower head, although the "stinking chamomile" is distinguished by lacking the membraneous scales underneath the flowers of the true chamomile, as well as by its characteristic strong odor. The leaves of Anthemis cotula have a similar appearance to those of the fennel plant ( Foeniculum vulgare ), from which the name "Dog's Fennel" is derived. [13]

Anthemis cotula is an annual glandular plant with a harsh taste and an acrid smell. Its height varies from 30–60 cm (12–24 in). [8]

Leaves
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 25–50 mm (1–2 in) long. [8]
Flowers
Each stem is topped by a single flower head which is usually around 25 mm (1 in) 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. [8]
Fruits
The fruits are achenes (with no pappus). They are wrinkled, ribbed with ten ridges, and have small glandular bumps across the surface.

Toxicity

Anthemis cotula is potentially toxic to dogs, cats, horses, and guinea pigs. Clinical signs include contact dermatitis, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, allergic reactions. Long term use can lead to bleeding tendencies. [14] The foliage may also cause skin irritation. [15]

Distribution

Native [7]
Pale-arctic
Macaronesia: Azores, Canary Islands, Madeira
Southern Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Eurasia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, Russia, Georgia, India, North Caucasus, Dagestan, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
Eastern Europe: Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Crimea, Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria
Northern Europe: Denmark, Norway, Sweden, England, Scotland, Finland
Central Europe: Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland
Southern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Crete, Italy, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Sicily, Slovenia, Sardinia, Corsica, Portugal, Spain, Balearic Islands
Western Europe: Belgium, Netherlands, France, Ireland, United Kingdom
Introduced [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]

Naturalized in Americas, Southern Africa, and Oceania

Spread to United States

Johnny Appleseed planted stinking chamomile, here called dog-fennel, during his travels in the early 19th century, believing it to be an antimalarial. Dog-fennel already had a reputation for being an aggressive invasive, however, so Appleseed's practice invited controversy. [21] Harper's New Monthly Magazine in 1871 gave Appleseed credit for the overabundance of dogfennel:

The consequence was that successive, flourishing crops of the weed spread over the whole country and caused almost as much trouble as the disease it was intended to ward off; and to this day the dog-fennel, introduced by Johnny Appleseed, is one of the worst grievances of the Ohio farmers. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chamomile</span> Common name for several daisy-like plants

Chamomile or camomile is the common name for several daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. Two of the species, Matricaria chamomilla and Chamaemelum nobile, are commonly used to make herbal infusions for beverages. There has been limited research as to whether consuming chamomile in foods or beverages is effective in treating medical conditions, although in Hungarian it is referred to as the "king of herbs".

<i>Matricaria discoidea</i> Species of flowering plant

Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineappleweed, wild chamomile, disc mayweed, and rayless mayweed, is an annual plant native to northeast Asia where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides. It is in the family Asteraceae. The flowers exude a chamomile/pineapple aroma when crushed. They are edible and have been used in salads and to make herbal tea.

<i>Leucanthemum vulgare</i> Species of flowering plant

Leucanthemum vulgare, commonly known as the ox-eye daisy, oxeye daisy, dog daisy, marguerite and other common names, is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, and an introduced plant to North America, Australia and New Zealand.

<i>Matricaria</i> Genus of plants

Matricaria is a genus of flowering plants in the chamomile tribe within the sunflower family. Some of the species have the common name of "mayweed", but this name also refers to plants not in this genus.

<i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> Species of flowering plant

Matricaria chamomilla, commonly known as chamomile, German chamomile, Hungarian chamomile (kamilla), wild chamomile, blue chamomile, or scented mayweed, is an annual plant of the composite family Asteraceae. Commonly, the name M. recutita is applied to the most popular source of the herbal product chamomile, although other species are also used as chamomile. Chamomile is known mostly for its use against gastrointestinal problems; additionally, it can be used to treat irritation of the skin.

<i>Cota tinctoria</i> Species of flowering plant

Cota tinctoria, the golden marguerite, yellow chamomile, or oxeye chamomile, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the sunflower family. Other common names include dyer's chamomile, Boston daisy, and Paris daisy. In horticulture this plant is still widely referred to by its synonym Anthemis tinctoria.

<i>Anacyclus pyrethrum</i> Species of plant

Anacyclus pyrethrum, the pellitory, Spanish chamomile, Mount Atlas daisy, bertram, or Akarkara, is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is native to Mediterranean Europe and parts of North Africa, but also naturalised in other parts of Europe, India and Pakistan. This herbaceous perennial resembles chamomile species in habitat and appearance.

<i>Anthemis</i> Genus of flowering plants

Anthemis is a genus of aromatic flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, closely related to Chamaemelum, and like that genus, known by the common name chamomile; some species are also called dog-fennel or mayweed. Anthemis are native to the Mediterranean region and southwest Asia east to Iran. A number of species have also become naturalized in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.

<i>Tripleurospermum inodorum</i> Species of flowering plant

Tripleurospermum inodorum, common names scentless false mayweed, scentless mayweed, scentless chamomile, and Baldr's brow, is the type species of Tripleurospermum. This plant is native to Eurasia and North Africa, and introduced to North America, where it is commonly found in fields, fallow land and gardens.

<i>Eupatorium capillifolium</i> Species of flowering plant

Eupatorium capillifolium, or dogfennel, is a North American perennial herbaceous plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the eastern and south-central United States. It is generally between 50 cm and 2 meters tall with several stems that fork from a substantial base. The stems and base are covered in leaves so dissected that they resemble branching green threads coming out of the stem in fractal patterns. When crushed, the leaves and flowers smell rather unpleasant.

<i>Anthemis arvensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Anthemis arvensis, also known as corn chamomile, mayweed, scentless chamomile, or field chamomile is a species of flowering plant in the genus Anthemis, in the aster family. It is used as an ornamental plant.

<i>Chamaemelum</i> Genus of flowering plants

Chamaemelum is a small genus of plants in the daisy family commonly known as chamomiles or dogfennels. Perhaps the best-known species is Roman chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile. These are annual or perennial herbs, rarely exceeding half a meter in height and usually bearing solitary white daisylike flowers with yellow centers. They are native to Europe but most species can be found scattered in other continents where they have been introduced. The genus consists of only two species and is of the Asteraceae family.

<i>Cotula australis</i> Species of flowering plant

Cotula australis is a species of plant in the daisy family known by the common names bachelor's buttons, annual buttonweed, southern waterbuttons and Australian waterbuttons. This small plant is native to Australia and New Zealand, but it is known in other areas of the world as a common weed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthemideae</span> Tribe of flowering plants in Asteraceae family

Anthemideae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family, Asteraceae, and the subfamily Asteroideae. They are distributed worldwide with concentrations in central Asia, the Mediterranean Basin, and southern Africa. Most species of plant known as chamomile belong to genera of this tribe.

<i>Tripleurospermum maritimum</i> Species of flowering plant

Tripleurospermum maritimum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family commonly known as false mayweed or sea mayweed. It is found in many coastal areas of Northern Europe, including Scandinavia and Iceland, often growing in sand or amongst beach pebbles.

<i>Rhodanthe anthemoides</i>

Rhodanthe anthemoides, commonly known as chamomile sunray, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is a small, perennial shrub with greyish-green leaves, white papery flowers, yellow centre and is endemic to Australia.

<i>Dittrichia graveolens</i> Species of flowering plant

Dittrichia graveolens, commonly known as stinkwort or stinking fleabane, is a plant species in the sunflower family, native to southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia as far east as Pakistan. It has become naturalized in California, Asia, Africa, Australia, and other places and is regarded as a noxious weed in some regions. It is a classified as an invasive species in California, and a potential threat to wine production in the state.

Anthemis plutonia, the Troödos chamomile, is a pilose perennial herb in the sunflower family found only in Cyprus. It often forms intricate mats with prostrate stems 5–20 cm long. Small bipinnatisect leaves. Capitula 15–20 mm in diameter, with pink rarely creamy-white tubular florets. Suborbicular ray-florets white, rarely pink.

<i>Crepis foetida</i> Species of flowering plant

Crepis foetida is a European species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae with the common name stinking hawksbeard. It is widespread across much of Europe and Siberia, as well as being sparingly naturalized in scattered locations in the United States and Australia.

Onocosiphon suffruticosus, commonly known as the shrubby mayweed, is a flowering plant native to Namibia and the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa. Additionally, it can now be found in France, Australia, and the USA.

References

Illustration from Britton & Brown 1913. Anthemis cotula-linedrawing.png
Illustration from Britton & Brown 1913.
  1. illustration from Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen in naturgetreuen Abbildungen mit kurz erläuterndem Texte : Atlas zur Pharmacopoea germanica. Author: Franz Eugen Köhler. 1883-1914
  2. The Plant List, Anthemis cotula L
  3. "Anthemis cotula". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. 2008-06-17.
  4. Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem. "Details for: Anthemis cotula". Euro+Med PlantBase. Freie Universität Berlin . Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  5. UniProt. "Anthemis cotula" . Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  6. Britten, James; Robert Holland (1886). "Page 84". A Dictionary of English Plant-names. For the English Dialect Society, Trübner & Ludgate Hill. p. 618 pages. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  7. 1 2 "Anthemis cotula". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Britton, Nathaniel Lord; Addison Brown (1913). "BORAGE FAMILY". An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions From Newfoundland to the Parallel of the Southern Boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic Ocean Westward to the 102d Meridian. Volume III Gentianaceae to Compositae Gentian to Thistle (Second Edition Revised and Enlarged ed.). New York: Charles Scribner's Sons . Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  9. cotula . Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary on Perseus Project .
  10. κοτύλη . Liddell, Henry George ; Scott, Robert ; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project.
  11. Dunglison, Robley; Richard James Dunglison (1876). "Section 22 Costohyoideus thru Cough". A Dictionary of Medical Science; Containing a Concise Explanation of the Various Subjects and Terms of Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Hygiene, Therapeutics, Medical Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Surgery, Obstetrics, Medical Jurisprudence, and Dentistry; Notices of Climate, and of Mineral Waters; Formulae for Officinal, Empirical, and Dietetic Preparations; with the Accentuation and Etymology of the Terms, and the French and Other Synonyms. Churchill. p. 1131 pages. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  12. M. Grieve (1931). "Mayweed". A Modern Herbal. © Copyright Protected 1995-2008 Botanical.com. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  13. M. Grieve (1931). "Chamomile Stinking". A Modern Herbal. © Copyright Protected 1995-2008 Botanical.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  14. ASPCA - Pet Care - Mayweed
  15. Niering, William A.; Olmstead, Nancy C. (1985) [1979]. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region. Knopf. p. 358. ISBN   0-394-50432-1.
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  17. Flora of China
  18. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  19. Atlas of Living Australia
  20. Cabrera, A. L. 1978. Compositae. 10: 1–726. In A. L. Cabrera (ed.) Flora de la provincia de Jujuy. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Buenos Aires
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