Chamomile

Many plants may have been called chamomile. The species usually cultivated for their heads drunk in a tea are:

• Chamaemelum nobile, Roman chamomile. Leaves compound with filiform segments. Receptacle with paleas between the flowers.
• Matricaria chamomilla, true or German chamomile. Leaves compound with filiform segments. Receptacle without paleas between the flowers.
• Tanacetum parthenium, feverfew. Leaves compound with broad segments. Receptacle without paleas between the flowers.

Out of their medicinal properties, they share the fact that their heads show yellow tubular flowers and white radiate flowers. By extension, most Matricaria and Anthemis are called chamomile.

Chamomiles in Spain

In Spain, the use of manzanilla or camomila as a digestive or relaxant drink is so important that the name has extended to many species (Pardo de Santayana et al., 2010).

Appreciated species

• Achillea millefolium
• Achillea odorata
• Achillea ptarmica
• Anthemis arvensis
• Artemisia granatensis
• Helichrysum italicum
• Helichrysum stoechas
• Matricaria aurea
• Matricaria discoidea
• Santolina chamaecyparissus
• Santolina oblongifolia
• Santolina rosmarinifolia

Substitutes

• Anacyclus clavatus
• Anthemis cotula
• Artemisia barrelieri
• Artemisia herba-alba
• Bellis perennis
• Bupleurum falcatum
• Chamaemelum fuscatum
• Convolvulus boissieri
• Erodium foetidum
• Herniaria glabra
• Leucanthemum vulgare
• Paronychia argentea
• Phagnalon saxatile
• Pterocephalus spathulatus
• Staehelina dubia

Références

• Pardo de Santayana, Manuel & Morales, Ramón, 2010. Chamomiles in Spain. The dynamics of plant nomenclature. in Pardo de Santayana, Manuel, Pieroni, Andrea & Puri, Rajindra K. Ethnobotany in the new Europe. New-York, Berghahn Books. pp. 282-305.