Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Matricaria chamomilla
Wild chamomile, German chamomile
Taxonomy

Synonyms: Chamomilla recutita, Matricaria recutita, Matricaria courrantiana

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

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F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
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S
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O
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N
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D
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Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Europe

Species Description

General: Dicot-herb, annual

Roots:

Shoots: alternate leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; lobed (pinnately), parted (pinnately) leaf margin; Pinnate leaf venation; linear, oblong, ovate leaf shape

Inflorescence: head

Flowers: perfect, unisexual, monoecious; 5 merous; complete, incomplete, not sepals, regular, irregular; white; epigynous ovary position

Fruit: achene

Physiology: autotrophic; C3 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is distributed along roads and railroads, waste places.

ILPIN Notes: Flower heads are sometimes boiled as a tea, used as a tonic and as a stomach medicine. Var. chamomilla has no pappus; var. coronata (Gray) Coss. and Germ. has pappus. Species is occasional in southern half of Illinois, extending north to Woodford county. Rays are present. Bruised live plant has odor of pineapple. Receptacle in median longisection is conic and pointy - leaves deeply dissected. Disk florets are perfect and fertile; ray florets are pistillate and fertile.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae: endomycorrhizal
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State:
  • Chicago Area:

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