Every year we harvest this plant and dry it for a supply of herbal teas. The first time I collected chamomile I was confused in trying to identify the plant . Browsing through herb books to look up the herb I found many names, both common and scientific. First of all the word chamomile is sometimes spelled camomile then there’s Roman (or English) chamomile, a perennial, and German (or Hungarian) chamomile, an annual. The German species might be listed as Matricaria chamomilla, Chamomilla recutita, or Matricaria recutita. Roman chamomile is referred to in some sources as Anthemis nobilis, in others as Chamaemelum nobile. To be bring some clarity to this issue I present the following.
The currently accepted nomenclature is
- Matricaria recutita - German Chamomile, the annual
- Chamaemelum nobile - Roman Chamomile, the perennial.
Telling Chamomile Species Apart
An easy way to distinguish the Chamaemelum nobile- Roman from Matricaria recutita - German is by splitting the flower receptacle open down the middle. If the receptacle is solid, it is Chamaemelum nobile - Roman; if hollow, it is Matricaria recutita - German. You should test five or ten flowers to be sure, because occasionally a German chamomile flower will be solid in the interior. |
| Matricaria recutita - German Chamomile |
Roman chamomile has slightly hairy stems, while those of the German are smooth. In the live plant, the flowers of Roman chamomile sit singly atop the stem, while those of the German are on divided stems in a comb-like arrangement (known as a corymb).
Plant Descriptions
Matricaria recutita - German Chamomile is a sweet-scented, branching plant whose tiny leaves are twice-divided into thin linear segments. The flowers, up to one inch across, have a hollow, cone-shaped receptacle, with tiny yellow disk flowers covering the cone. The cone is surrounded by 10 to 20 white, down-curving ray flowers, giving it the appearance of a miniature daisy. German chamomile is native to Europe and Western Asia. |
| Matricaria recutita - German Chamomile |
Chamaemelum nobile - Roman Chamomile, on the other hand, has a spreading habit and grows only about a foot high. Leaves are twice or thrice divided into linear segments, which are flatter and thicker than those of German chamomile. Its flowers are also up to 3cm across, but its disk is a broader conical shape, and the receptacle is solid.
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| Chamaemelum nobile - Roman Chamomile |
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Medicinal Usage
German chamomile, and to a lesser extent, Roman chamomile, is among the best-researched medicinal herbs now used in Europe. It is used in a wide variety of ways and in dozens of products: compresses, rinses, or gargles are used externally for the treatment of inflammations and irritations of the skin, mouth, gums, and respiratory tract, and for hemorrhoids. A chamomile bath—450g of flowers to 75L of water—is also used.Internally, a tea made from 2 to 3 grams of the herb to a cup of water is used to relieve spasms and inflammations of the intestinal tract, as well as for peptic ulcers. A mild tea is also used as a sleeping aid, particularly for children. These medicinal uses, cited in a monograph developed by the European Scientific Cooperative for Phytomedicine, are backed by intensive research of recent years as well as many centuries of common use.
Harvesting and Drying Chamomile
Run your fingers through the plants catching the flowers heads as you go. I always leave a few heads on the plants, remembering the flower heads are the next generation of plants. I lay the flower heads on trays and leave the trays in a south facing window, turning periodically to ensure an even dry. After the heads are dry, they are put into jars and stored in a dark, cool place and....voilà! You have a ready supply of calm in a jar. |
| Matricaria recutita - German Chamomile drying out |
For more info on these plants click below for the Plants for Future profiles of the two species.
Matricaria recutita - German Chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile - Roman Chamomile
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