Chamaemelum

Chamaemelum
Roman chamomile
Chamaemelum nobile
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
Tribe: Anthemideae
Genus: Chamaemelum
Mill. 1754 not Vis. 1845
Type species
Chamaemelum nobile
(L.) All.
Synonyms[1]
  • Ormenis (Cass.) Cass.
  • Perideraea Webb
  • Marcelia Cass.

Chamaemelum is a small genus of plants in the daisy family commonly known as chamomiles or dogfennels. Perhaps the best-known species is Roman chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile. These are annual or perennial herbs, rarely exceeding half a meter in height and usually bearing solitary white daisylike flowers with yellow centers. They are native to Europe but most species can be found scattered in other continents where they have been introduced.[2][3] The genus consists of only two species and is of the Asteraceae family.[4]

Embryo sac development in Chamaemelum differs from that of Anthemis, with Chamaemelum exhibiting monosporic embryo sac formation, while all members of Anthemis have tetrasporic embryo sac. Anthemis and Chamaemelum have some differences in fruit and corolla structure, embryo sac development, and phytochemical data, and the closeness of their relationship has been debated.[5]

Chamaemelum was first mentioned by Linnaeus in ''Genera pIanta rum'' and had its generic name validated by Linnaeus in 1753 with the first edition of ''Species plantarum''. There was uncertainty surrounding the correct demarcation of the two genera, Anthemis (which used to be a name of Chamaemelum) and Anacyclus, for decades.[5]

  1. ^ Flann, C (ed) 2009+ Global Compositae Checklist
  2. ^ USDA Plants Profile
  3. ^ Global Compendium of Weeds: C. fuscatum
  4. ^ Darriet, Florent; Bendahou, Mourad; Costa, Jean; Muselli, Alain (2012-02-15). "Chemical Compositions of the Essential Oils of the Aerial Parts of Chamaemelum mixtum (L.) Alloni". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 60 (6): 1494–1502. doi:10.1021/jf203872z. ISSN 0021-8561. PMID 22225420.
  5. ^ a b Christoph, Oberprieler (1998). The systematics of Anthemis L. (Compositae, Anthemideae) in W and C North Africa. Published under the auspices of OPTIMA by Herbarium Mediterraneum Panormitanum. ISBN 88-7915-024-3. OCLC 41446307.