CHAMOMILE 73 



Matricaria Chamomilla, Linne, German Chamomile. The flower- 

 heads are smaller, single, and have a hollow conical receptacle devoid 

 of palese. They are sometimes sold as * single chamomiles.' 



Chrysanthemum Parthenium, Bernhardi, Feverfew. The cultivated 

 plant has double flower heads, resembling those of the chamomile. 

 The receptacle is flat ; palece may be present or absent, according 

 to the variety ; if present they are acute. 



ARNICA FLOWERS 



(Flores Arnicse) 



Source, &C. Arnica flowers are the flowerheads of Arnica montana, 

 Linne (N.O. Compositce), a small plant with creeping perennial rhizome, 

 indigenous to central Europe. In the warmer districts it is common 

 hi the meadows on the lower mountain spurs ; in the more northern 

 districts it grows in the valleys. It produces large, solitary, orange- 

 yellow flowerheads, not unlike yellow marguerites, measuring about 



7 cm. in diameter. 



The flowerheads are usually collected entire and dried ; the 

 receptacle being especially liable to be attacked by insects, this, 

 together with the involucre, is sometimes separated, and the drug 

 then consists of the ligulate and tubular florets but this variety is 

 not official. 



Description. The drug as met with in English commerce com- 

 monly consists of the entire flowerheads, the most conspicuous parts 

 of which are the green involucre and whitish, bristly pappus ; the 

 dark yellow ligulate corolla, so prominent in the fresh flower, shrivels 

 so much as to become quite inconspicuous. 



The involucre consists of two rows of dark green, acutely pointed, 

 linear-lanceolate, hairy bracts. The florets of the ray are pistillate, 

 and possess long, narrow, dark yellow ligulate corollas containing 

 about seven to nine veins and terminated by three teeth. 



The disc-florets are numerous, and have a long, dark yellow, tubular 

 corolla which bears on its outer surface minute glands, visible under 

 a strong lens ; similar glands are found also on the ligulate ray-florets. 

 The fruit, which is more or less shrivelled, is elongated, straight, 

 covered with appressed hairs, and surmounted by a single ring of 

 stiff, whitish, barbed bristles (pappus) ; the hairs consist of two long, 

 narrow, contiguous cells which are divergent at the apex and pointed, 

 but this character can scarcely be seen under a lens. 



After the florets have been removed, the receptacle, which is about 



8 mm. in diameter and arched, exhibits a corresponding number of 

 depressions, each of which bears in its centre a stiff, dark bristle, and 

 is surrounded by short, bristly hairs, the latter being, however, some- 

 times absent. 



