Description
Herbaceous, vivacious, villose plant, 10-30 cm high; branched rhizome
that makes the plant grow just above the ground. Leaves are alternate,
whitish-green, 1.5-5 cm
with glandular dots, pinnatisect, divided into narrow lobes, in linear segments
and finely sharp apexes and a rolled-up margin. Terminal and solitary capitules
are of up to 3 cm
diameter. The receptacle is firm, conic and full; its base is surrounded by an
involucre formed by 2 to 3 lines of tight and imbricated bracts, scarious at
the edges (dry and translucent). Flowers around the capitule have a white
ligule corolla, pale, lanceolate and flexous, with a dark brown inferior ovary,
a filiform style and bifidus stigma. Inside flowers are yellow, tubular with
small transparent florets between them. They have a corolla with 5 teeth,
androecium with 5 epipetalous and gynocium pistils similar to the ligule
flowers; they are hemafrodites. The fruit is an achenium, no longer than a
millimeter in length and with no pappus. It has an intense aromatic,
penetrating and characteristic scent. It belongs to the Asteraceae
(Compositeae) family.
It is indigenous of southern and western Europe
(England, Belgium, France,
Germany, Italy, Spain)
and northern Africa. To produce the drug, it
is cultivated, mainly in Belgium,
France, England, United
States, Argentina
and Italy,
a kind of Chamomile with mostly only ligule flowers. The drug comes, especially
from France, Poland and Czech Republic.
Habitat: In the wild, it can be found in
meadows and fields lengthwise the Iberian Peninsula,
especially in the western and northern regions; by the northeast and south
east, it becomes scarce or even totally disappears. Chamomile blooms during
spring-summer and is to be harvested during the blooming, when the flower heads
open.
Part used
Flower heads (capitula).
Indications
Internal use
> Digestives
alterations: hyposecretive dyspepsia, aerophagia and meteorism, epigastric
distention, appetite enhancer (to be taken before each meal), hard digestions
(to be taken after each meal), gastrointestinal spasms, emesis of nervous
origin, nausea, gastritis.
> Hepatic disorders: hepatobiliary
dyskinesia, cholecystitis.
> Intestinal parasites (oxyuriasis).
> Headaches, hepatobiliary origin headaches and
neuralgias.
> Menstrual disorders, dysmenorrhea (painful
menstrual periods).
> Fever.
> Respiratory infections.
> Inflammations in general and rheumatisms.
> Anxiety, nervousness and insomnia.
External use
> Conjunctivitis and blepharoconjunctivitis,
irritated eyelids and tired eyes.
> Skin and mucosa
inflammation, including buccopharyngeal cavity and gums (mouthwashes), eczemas,
wounds, blisters, burns, etc.
> In frictions for
rheumatism, lumbago and sciatica.
> In inhalations to
treat throat sores and respiratory tract discomfort.
> In inhalations to
treat sinusitis, hay fever and rhinitis.
> For sedative and
invigorating bathtubs.
> In sitz baths or
ointments in the recto-genital area, vaginal infections.
> Enhances golden hue
in blond hair.
