Asteraceae FAMILY

Matricaria chamomilla

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

5/5

Safety & Hazards

Individuals allergic to ragweeds (Ambrosia spp.) or with known sensitivity to other members of the Compositae family should avoid contact with German camomile and its products. Camomile hypersensitivity is rare, however[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ].

Botanical Description

Matricaria chamomilla is a freely-branched, annual to short-lived perennial plant that can grow 50 - 80cm tall from a thin, spindly root[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. , 418 Title Ecocrop Publication Author Website http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available. ]. A well known herbal remedy with a long history of use, German camomile is still much used in modern herbalism and also as the source of an essential oil. It is both harvested from the wild and also cultivated in moderate quantity.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate; tropical

Native RangeEurope, including Britain, east to W. Asia and the Himalayas

HabitatSandy or loamy arable soils in Britain[ 13 Title Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Publication Author Triska. Dr. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3 Description Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore. , 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. Also found on saline steppes in Europe[ 50 Title Flora Europaea Publication Author ? Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1964 ISBN - Description An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader. ]. A weedy species, preferring sunny sites (slightly shaded sites are tolerated) and found on wasteland, roadsides and fields[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ].