Chamomile
Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) (/ˈkæməmaɪl, -miːl/ KAM-ə-myle or KAM-ə-meel[1][2]) 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.[3][4][5] There has been limited (though thus far insufficient) 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" (orvosi székfű).[4][5]
Etymology
The word chamomile is derived via
Species
Some commonly used species include:
- Matricaria chamomilla – often called "German chamomile" or "Water of Youth"[8]
- Chamaemelum nobile – Roman, English, or garden chamomile; also frequently used (C. nobile Treneague is normally used to create a chamomile lawn)[9]
A number of other species' common names include the word chamomile. This does not necessarily mean they are used in the same manner as the species used in the herbal tea known as "chamomile". Plants including the common name chamomile, of the family Asteraceae, are:
- Anthemis arvensis – corn, scentless or field chamomile
- Anthemis cotula – stinking chamomile
- Cladanthus mixtus – Moroccan chamomile
- Cota tinctoria – dyer's, golden, oxeye, or yellow chamomile
- Eriocephalus punctulatus – Cape chamomile
- Matricaria discoidea – wild chamomile or pineapple weed
- Oncosiphon pilulifer – globe chamomile
- Tripleurospermum inodorum – wild, scentless or false chamomile
Uses
Chamomile may be used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages, mouthwash, soaps, or cosmetics.[5] It is used to "upholster" chamomile seats, raised beds which are about half a meter tall, and designed to be sat upon.[10] Chamomile lawns are also used in sunny areas with light traffic.[11]
Tea
Chamomile tea is a
Use in beer and ale
Chamomile has historically been used in making
Research
The main compounds of interest in chamomile flowers are
Drug interactions
The use of chamomile has the potential to cause adverse interactions with numerous herbal products and prescription drugs and may worsen pollen allergies.[5] People who are allergic to ragweed (also in the daisy family) may be allergic to chamomile due to cross-reactivity.[3]
Chamomile is not recommended to be taken with
Chamomile should not be used by people with past or present cancers of the breast, ovary, or uterus; endometriosis; or uterine fibroids.[5]
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Because chamomile has been known to cause
Agriculture
The chamomile plant is known to be susceptible to many
Historical descriptions
The 11th century part of Old English Illustrated Herbal has an illustrated entry.[20] Nicholas Culpeper's 17th century The Complete Herbal has an illustration and several entries on chamomel.[21][22]
In culture
- In The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902), Peter's mother gives him chamomile tea to cure his stomachache.[23]
- Mary Wesley's 1984 novel The Camomile Lawn features a house in Cornwall with a lawn planted with chamomile rather than grass.
- In the 2001 No Doubt song "Hey Baby", chamomile is featured in the line "I'm just sippin' on chamomile", sung by Gwen Stefani.[24]
- Chamomile is the national flower of Russia.[25]
References
- ISBN 978-3-12-539683-8
- ^ "Chamomile". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Chamomile". National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. September 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "Roman chamomile". MedlinePlus, US National Institutes of Health. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Chamomile". Drugs.com. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- Perseus Project
- ^ a b c "Chamomile". Online Etymology Dictionary. 2019.
- ^ S2CID 16831869.
- ^ "Camomile lawn". The Royal Horticultural Society. 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
- ^ The Sensory Garden, Buckfast Abbey (image)
- ^ "Chamomile lawns". www.rhs.org.uk.
- ^ Grieve, Maude (1931). A Modern Herbal.
- ^ "Chamomile Beer List". RateBeer. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- ^ "Brewing Wildflower Wheat". Brewer's Friend. July 2012. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
- S2CID 21041569.
- PMID 35454969.
- PMID 25644982.
- S2CID 1828900.
- ^ PMID 22096322.
- ^ "Cotton MS Vitellius C III". British Library Digitised Manuscripts. p. 29.
- ^ Culpeper, Nicholas (1600s). The Complete Herbal.
- ^ "[Illustration on Project Gutenberg]". Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Michael Castleman The New Healing Herbs: The Classic Guide to Nature's Best Medicines ... at Google Books
- ^ No Doubt (Ft. Bounty Killer) – Hey Baby, retrieved 24 April 2024
- ^ James Minahan. The complete guide to national symbols and emblems, Vol. 1. Greenwood Press. 2009.
External links
- PLANTS Profile: Anthemis tinctoria L. (golden chamomile), USDA
- Texts on Wikisource:
- "Chamomile". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911.
- "Chamomile". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920.