400 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



Fig. 183. 



nesque, Med. Flor. i. 44 ; Maruta cotula, De Candolle, Prod. vi. 13 ; Torrey 



and Gray, Fl. ii. 408 ; Lindley, Fl. Med. 459 ; M. fxtida, Cassini, Diet. 



xxix. t. 174. 



Common Names. — Wild Chamomile ; May-weed ; Dog Fennel, &c. 

 Foreign Names. — Maroute, Fr. ; Camomilla mezzana, It. ; Die stinkende 



kamille, Ger. 



Description. — Root 

 annual, crooked, fibrous. 

 Stem and leaves covered 

 with short, adpressed 

 woolly hairs. Stem from 

 one to two feet high, 

 much branched, irregu- 

 larly angular and stri- 

 ated. Branches co- 

 rymbose. Leaves alter- 

 nate, sessile, flat, doubly 

 pinnate, carinate be- 

 neath. Leaflets linear, 

 acute, entire or trifid. 

 Flowers erect on a naked 

 peduncle. Involucre he- 

 mispherical, imbricated, 

 hairy, rough. The scales 

 linear, pale-green, scari- 

 ous on the margin. Flo- 

 rets of the disk bright 

 yellow, numerous ; those 

 of the rays ligulate, 

 white. Receptacle coni- 

 cal, covered with short, 

 bristly chaff. Central 

 florets tubular, glandu- 

 lar, five-toothed, with five 

 stamina. Ovary obovate, 

 with a filiform, bifid 

 style. Stigmas two, 

 reflexed. Seeds brown, 

 obovate, quadrangular, 

 M. cotula. ribbed. 



A native of Europe, and now extensively naturalized in this country, where 

 it has become a very troublesome weed in some places, and one very difficult 

 to destroy, though merely an annual. It grows almost exclusively in open 

 places, being very rarely found in woods. It flowers from June until it is 

 killed by the frost. It has a strong and unpleasant smell, and a bitter, acrid, 

 and nauseous taste. The whole plant is officinal. I am not aware that any 

 analysis has been made of it; but it is probable, from its affinity to Chamo- 

 mile in botanical characters and sensible qualities, that its constituents 

 are much the same. It is not eaten by cattle, and is said to be unpleasant 

 to bees. 



Medical Properties. — It is tonic, diaphoretic, and emetic, and in fact closely 

 resembles Chamomile in its action on the system, and is constantly used as a 

 substitute for it in domestic practice, but is much more nauseous and unplea- 

 sant, although its remedial powers are fully equal, if not more energetic, than 

 that article. Both Barton and Rafinesque state that it differs from the Euro- 

 pean plant in not being capable of producing vesication when fresh ; this, 

 however, seems to be erroneous, as Dr. Ashley (Jour. Phil. Coll. Pharm.) 



