FLORES ANTHEMIDIS. 385 



served its abundance near Rome, gave it the name of Roman Chamo- 

 Tnile. 



Porta, about the year 1G04/ states that 100 pounds of Flores 

 Chamcemeh yielded 2 drachmae of a green volatile oil : we suppose he 

 distilled the flowers under notice. 



r^^i^"^^^^"^'^^® camomile is cultivated at Mitcham, near London 

 the land appbed to this purpose being in 1864 about 55 acres, and the 

 yield reckoned at about 4 cwt. per acre. The flowers are carefully 



gathei-ed, and dried by artificial heat ; and fetch a high price in the 

 market.2 ^ ^ 



The plant is grown on a large scale at Kieritzsch, between Leipzio- 

 and Altenburg, and near Zeiz and Eorna, all in Saxony ; and likewis? 

 to some extent in Belgium and France. 



Description — The chamomile flowers found in commerce are never 

 those of the wild plant, but are produced by a variety in which the 

 tubular florets have all, or for the greater part been converted into ligu- 

 ate florets. In the flowers of some localities this conversion has been 

 Jess complete, and such flowers having a somewhat yellow centre, are 

 called by druggists Single Chamomiles; while those in which aU the 

 norets are ligulate and white, are known as Double Chamomiles. 



Chamomile flowers have the general structure found in the order 

 ^ompositce. They are ^ to | of an inch across, and consist of a hemi- 

 spherical involucre about f of an inch in diameter, composed of a num- 

 ber ot nearly eq[ual bracts, scarious at the margin. The receptacle is 

 solid conical, about \ of an inch in height, beset with thin, concave, 

 unt, narrow, chaffy scales, from the bases of which grow the numerous 

 noreta. In the wild plant, the outer of these, to the number of 12 or 

 ^ore, are white, narrow, strap-shaped, and slightly toothed at the apex, 

 e central or disc florets are yellow and tubular, with a somewhat 

 oeu-shaped summit from which project the two reflexed stigmas. In 

 tl ^ ^,^^^^^*®^ plant, the ligulate florets predominate, or replace entirely 

 refl ';" • '^^^ florets which are wholly destitute of pappus are 

 wb'^f^^^'i^*^ ^^^^ ^^^ capitulum when dried has the aspect of a little 

 He ball. Minute oil-glands are sparingly scattered over the tubular 

 portion of the florets of either kind. The flowers of chamomile, as yveW 

 the green parts of the plant, have a strong ai-oma, and a veiy bitter 



Vf^*^^' ^^^^^ chamomile flowers are esteemed in proportion as they 

 e ot large size, very double, and of a good white— the last named 

 Qua W !.„:..., • " dry weather during the 



a K '6 '-luc lu great measure lo nue uij- wctiwici uux^^g .^^v. 



wermg period. Flowers that are buff" or brownish, or only partially 

 rouble, command a lower price. 



Chemical Composition— Chamomile flowers yield from OQ to OS 

 v^n ^^^\ ^^ essential oil,^ which is at first of a pale blue, but becomes 



ATTr-"^^^^^ in the course of a few months. 

 I y -aiitcham, oil of chamomile is usually distilled from the entire 

 I «'rtf. after the best flowers have been gathered. The oil has a shade 



J J^^^illatione , Eomse, 1C08. 83 ^ Information obligingly given by Messrs. 



""" ^" Chamo- Schimmel & Co., Leijjzig. The oil distilled 



by them was examined in Prof. Fittigs 

 laboratory, Strassbuvg. 



2b 



Foreign 



