MATRI 
fiyfrant, and feberhaut-, in Dutch, motderkruid ; in Danifh, 
“moderun : tnatram\ »« French, natricain, ejpar- 
goutte ; in Italian, matricaria , matricale, marella ; in opal'll'^ 
and Portuguefe, matricaria ; in Ruffian, matofchnaja trawa. 
2. Matricaria maritima, or fea-feverfew: receptacles 
hemifpherical; leaves bipinnate, fomewhat flefhy ; convex 
above; keeled underneath. The ftalks of this plant 
branch out pretty much, and fpread near the ground. 
Leaves dark green, like thofe of the true chamomile 
(Anthemis nobilis), but much thicker in fubftance ; their 
edges are turned back. Flowers white, like thofe of the 
true chamomile, and difpofed almoft in form of an umbel. 
In fin ell it approaches to the true chamomile, but it is 
much weaker. Krocker takes it to be a biennial plant. 
According to him, the (terns are eighteen inches long ; 
the peduncles are grooved and one-flowered ; the flowers 
large; the receptacle hemifpherical or conical ; the florets 
of°the ray three-toothed; the calycine fcales furround- 
ed with a brown membranaceous margin. The feeds of 
the ray three-toothed and triangular. Retzius remarks, 
that in the garden it becomes perennial and luxuriant, 
with an upright Item more than two feet high, and leaves 
four times larger than in the wild plant, infomuch that 
it appears to be a different fpecies. It is a native of the 
coaft of Britain. Dillenius firft obferved it in Suffex, 
about Cockbufli, feven miles from Chichefler; afterwards 
Mr. Atkinfon remarked it in Ifle of Walney, Dr. Smith 
on the rocks at Down near Bamff in Scotland, and Mr. 
Lightfoot in the Ifle of Bute, and on the weftern fide of 
Cantire, between Maclirianiftt and Barr, See. It flowers 
in July. 
3. Matricaria fuaveolens, or fweet feverfew: recepta¬ 
cles conical; rays bent down ; calycine fcales, equal at 
the edge. Hudfon and Withering will have this to be 
no more than a variety of the next fpecies; and Light- 
foot could perceive no difference between them, except 
that the rays of this are larger and deflexed. According 
to Krocker, the item is fmaller, lefs divided, few-flowered, 
fmooth, weaker, higher. Leaves longer, fofter, with li¬ 
near, bifid pinnules. Flowers a little larger; the florets 
of the ray narrower, bent down. The receptacle conical, 
whitilh. The feent fweet and pleafant, but lefs penetrat¬ 
ing than that of M. chamomilla. Native of Siberia, Ger¬ 
many, Sweden, and Britain ; flowering from May to Au- 
guft. Its properties refemble thofe of Anthemis nobilis : 
the Finlanders ufe an infufion of it in confumptive cafes. 
Cows, goats, and fheep, eat it; horfes are not fond of it; 
fwine refufe it. 
4.. Matricaria chamomilla, or corn-feverfew: recepta¬ 
cles conical; rays fpreading; calycine fcales, equal at 
the edge. Root annual. Stem green, ftriated, fmooth, 
branched. Leaves deep green, alternate, feflile. Flower¬ 
ing heads folitary, on long, upright, ftriated, naked, pe¬ 
duncles, a little thickened above, terminating the ftem 
and branches. Florets of the ray about thirteen, white, 
almoft linear, a line and a half broad, two-grooved, three- 
teethed, teeth bluntifh; they are at firft fpreading, after¬ 
wards reflex. Mr. Curtis remarks, that they begin to 
hang down in the evening, and continue to do fo till 
morning, both in this and Anthemis cotula. Florets of 
the difle yellowifh green. Seeds numerous, minute, pale 
brown, furrowed; the furrows deeper%id more numerous 
on the inner fide, the ridges white. 
Corn-feverfew is common on cultivated grounds, on 
dunghills, and by way-fides ; flowering from May to Au- 
guft, and even to Odlober. Several plants are confounded 
with this, under the common names of mayweed, maitkes, 
deg-jingle, or dog-fennel. It differs from Anthemis cotula, 
or ltinking may weed, which it moft refembles, by its feent, 
and alfo in having a higher and larger ftem, the leaves of 
a darker green, and cut into finer fegments. The heads of 
flowers, bruifed, fmell fomewhat like the true chamomile, 
only not fo pleafant; but thofe of ltinking mayweed are 
very difagreeable, and the plant will blitter the (kin on 
being much handled. The florets of the ray in Matricaria 
are in general longer and much narrower; the difk is more 
prominent and of a darker yellow than in Anthemis ; 
which the^ botamft readily diftinguiflses, on differing it, 
by the pointed chaffs fixed to the receptacle, between the 
florets, and which are totally wanting in Matricaria. The 
feeds of Anthemis are broad and truncated at top, wrinkled, 
and of a deep brown colour; thofe of Matricaria are much 
fmaller, paler, and different in (hape. Thefe diftimS-ions 
are the more neceffary to be attended .to, becaufe thefe 
plants are extremely (imilar in their general appearance, 
are often found growing together : both are annuals, flow¬ 
ering at the fame time; and both grow nearly to the fame 
height. Mr. Curtisjoins Hudfon and Lightfoot in affirm¬ 
ing that M. fuaveolens is not different from this; and i* 
furprifed that profeffor Murray (hould adopt a fpecies 
founded on fuch vague characters. See, however, what is 
faid above from Krocker and Gaertner. According to the 
Swedifti obfervations, kine, goats, and (keep, eat this plant; 
horfes are not fond of it, and fwine refufe it. It feems to 
be rejected by quadrupeds in general with us. It is fup- 
pofed to poffefs the fame qualities with the officinal cha¬ 
momile (Anthemis nobilis), but in an inferior degree. 
5. Matricaria argentea, or (ilvery-leaved feverfew: leaves 
bipinnate; peduncles folitary. This rifes a foot high. 
Leaves of a filver colour, for the moft part placed oppo- 
fite. Native of the Levant. It flowers in July, and in, 
warm feaions feeds are fometimes perfected in autumn. 
6. Matricaria afteroides, or ftarwort-ftowered feverfew : 
leaves lanceolate, entire, fmooth, oblique. For the de- 
feription, fee Boltonia afteroides, vol. iii. p. 161. Mil¬ 
ler deferibes his Matricaria Americana to be a perennial 
plant, with the ftalks and leaves decaying in autumn. 
The former rife a foot and a half high, and divide at top 
into feveral forked branches : at each of the divifions is 
placed one linear-lanceolate leaf, about two inches long, 
and a quarter of an inch broad, of a deep green. The 
branches are terminated by Angle peduncles, each fupport- 
ing one blue flower, very like thofe of fome Alters ; but 
the calyx is fcaly, and the feeds have not any down. It 
flowers in July and Augult, and the feeds ripen in autumn, 
7. Matricaria proftrata, or proftrate feverfew : leases 
Ample, ovate, toothed; peduncles lateral; one-flowered; 
branches decumbent. Native of Cura^oa. 
8. Matricaria Cantonienfis, or Chinefe feverfew : lower 
leaves ferrate; uppermoft quite entire; peduncles one- 
flowered; florets of the ray entire; receptacle convex. 
Steins herbaceous, a foot and a half high, branched. It 
has fome affinity with M. afteroides. Native of China 
near Canton. 
Propagation and Culture. Common feverfew is frequently 
cultivated in the phyfic-gardens near London to fupply the 
market. The varieties are preferved in botanic and flower 
gardens. Some of them are pretty conftant, if care be 
taken in laving the feeds; but, where thefe are fuffered to 
fcatter, it is almoft impoftible to preltrve the varieties 
without mixture. The feeds ftiould be fown in March 
upon a bed of light earth, and, when they are come up, 
they fliould be tranfplnnted out into nurfery-beds, at about 
eight inches afunder, where they may remain till the mid¬ 
dle of May, when they may be taken up, with a ball of 
earth to their roots, and planted in the middle of large 
borders, where they will flower in July and Auguft ; and, 
if the autumn be favourable, will produce ripe feeds the 
fame year. But it is not advifeable to permit them to 
feed, which often weakens and decays the roots ; there¬ 
fore, when their flowers are paft, you fliould cut down 
their ftems, which will caufe them to pulh out frelli heads, 
whereby the roots may be maintained. When the dif¬ 
ferent varieties of thefe plants are intermixed with other 
plants of the fame growth, they make a handfome appear¬ 
ance during the leafon of flowering, which commonly 
continues a full month, or more. But, as their roots fel- 
dom abide more than two, or at moft three, years, frefh 
plants w.ould he raifed from feeds to fupply their places; 
for, although they may be propagated by parting their 
rooie 
