Roman camomile

The Roman camomile ( Chamaemelum nobile (L.) All.) is a herbaceous Plante long-lived of the family of the Astéracées. One finds it everywhere in Western Europe in the dry and sandy grounds rich in silica up to 1.000 m of altitude. In France, one can in particular find it in the west and more particularly in Anjou where it is abundantly cultivated.

Names of the plant

Chamaemelum nobile is the scientific name retained today for the plant. She is known however by her synonym Anthemis nobilis , allotted by Linné. Other nomenclaturaux synonyms: Ormenis nobilis (L.) Coss. & Germ., Chamomilla nobilis (L.) Godr.

French vernacular names: Roman camomile, noble camomile, anthémis noble, anthémis odorous, camomile of Anjou.

German: edle Spornkamille, römische Kamille, römische Hundskamille. English: sweet chamomile, english chamomile, perennial chamomile, Romance chamomile. Castilian: manzanilla romana. Italian: camomilla romana. Dutch: roomse kamille.

Description

Long-lived herbaceous plant from 10 to 30 cm in height. Its hairy stems are initially lying to be rectified thereafter. They end in flowerheads floral odorous, solitary. Of color green blanchâtre, its sheets are finely divided into short and narrow lobes. The flowerhead is made of florets ligulas white recovering the ones the others surrounding a disc of yellow tubulés florets. The fruits are Akène S yellowish, small and corded.

Characteristics

    • Standard of inflorescence: capitulates simple or corymbe of flowerheads

    • distribution of the sexes: Standard hermaphrodite
    • of pollination: entomogame, autogame
    • Period of flowering: June at September
  • Seed:
    • Standard of fruit: Akène
    • Mode of dissemination: anémochore
  • Habitat and distribution:
    • standard Habitat: meadows médioeuropéennes, mesohydric, grazed, surpiétinées, planitiaires with mountain
    • Surface of distribution: the Atlantic
given according to: Julve, pH., 1998 FF. - Baseflor. Botanical, ecological and chorologic index of the flora of France. Version: April 23rd, 2004.

Uses

Culinary use

The flowerheads can be used to aromatize salads and desserts.

Medicinal properties

The flower of Roman camomile (Chamomillae romanae flos) has properties: tonics, stomachic, antispasmodic and analgesics.

Its active ingredients are its components polyphenolic (acid phenols, flavonoïdes, procyanidols, coumarins); essential oil, sesquiterpenes with bitter savor.

It is used out of herb tea, only or in mixture, and the herbalists allot to him with moderate amount an effectiveness against insomnia. Currently, the Roman camomile is used in a general way to treat all the disorders where the spasm occupies an important place. In particular, in the case of functional digestive disorders: difficult digestions (painful digestive spasms) or of dysmenorrhoea. According to the monograph of the Commission E (BAnz n°221 of the 25.11.93) no therapeutic indication perhaps considered.

In beauty care it is always present in lotions, creams, shampoos.

External bonds

  • Origins, stories and benefits of Herb teas: The Camomile
  • GRIN 104133
  • ITIS 501396

Random links:Trinculo (the moon) | Saturnales | Paul Tortelier | Tuak | Pierre Toufaire | Charles_VIII_de_la_France