Chamomile (American English) or camomile (British English; see spelling differences) ( or
There is no clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of consuming chamomile to treat any Disease. Chamomile may Drug interaction adversely with various Herb and Drug, worsen pollen allergies, and is not recommended for people with hormone-sensitive conditions or when combined with Anticoagulant. Because Roman chamomile may cause uterine contractions, it should not be used during pregnancy, and its safety during breastfeeding is unknown.
Chamomile is highly susceptible to numerous Fungus, Virus, and Insect, which collectively pose significant threats to its Agriculture. Chamomile appears in literature, music, and symbolism—as a soothing remedy in The Tale of Peter Rabbit, the title of The Camomile Lawn, a lyric in No Doubt’s “Hey Baby,” a metaphor in Shakespeare, and as Russia’s national flower.
Etymology
The word
chamomile is derived via
French language and
Latin, from the Greek , from , and .
First used in the 13th century, the spelling
chamomile corresponds to the Latin chamomilla and the Greek .
The spelling
camomile is a British derivation from the French.
Species
Some commonly used species include:
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Matricaria chamomilla – often called "German chamomile" or "Water of Youth"
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Chamaemelum nobile – Roman, English, or garden chamomile; also frequently used ( C. nobile Treneague is normally used to create a chamomile lawn)
A number of other species' include the word chamomile. This does not necessarily mean they are used in the same manner as the species used in the herbal tea known as "chamomile". Plants including the common name chamomile, of the family Asteraceae, are:
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Anthemis arvensis – corn, scentless or field chamomile
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Anthemis cotula – stinking chamomile
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Cladanthus mixtus – Moroccan chamomile
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Cota tinctoria – dyer's, golden, oxeye, or yellow chamomile
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Eriocephalus – Cape chamomile
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Matricaria discoidea – wild chamomile or pineapple weed
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Oncosiphon pilulifer – globe chamomile
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Tripleurospermum inodorum – wild, scentless or false chamomile
Uses
Chamomile may be used as a flavouring agent in foods and beverages,
mouthwash, soaps, and
cosmetics.
Chamomile tea is a
herbal infusion made from dried flowers and hot water, and may improve sleep quality.
Two types of chamomile are used, namely German chamomile (
Matricaria recutita) and Roman chamomile (
Chamaemelum nobile).
Chamomile has historically been used as one of the flavouring ingredients in
beer,
and is sometimes used by modern brewers.
Usually the whole plant is used, adding a bitter flavour component.
Chamomile, chiefly Chamaemelum nobile cultivars, is used to "upholster" , raised beds which are about half a meter tall, and designed to be sat upon.[The Sensory Garden, Buckfast Abbey] are also used in sunny areas with light traffic.
Research
There is no clinical evidence that chamomile is effective for treating any diseases.
[ Chamomile is under preliminary research for its potential anxiolytic properties.]
Phytochemicals
The main compounds in chamomile flowers are coumarins, flavonoids, and ,
Drug interactions
The use of chamomile has the potential to cause adverse effect with numerous herbal products and prescription drugs and may worsen pollen allergy.
Chamomile contains coumarin, glycoside, herniarin, flavonoid, farnesol, nerolidol and germacranolide. Despite the presence of coumarin, as chamomile's effect on the coagulation system has not yet been studied, it is unknown whether a clinically significant drug–herb interaction exists with anticoagulant drugs.
Chamomile should not be used by people with past or present cancers of the breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or uterine cancer; endometriosis; or .
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Because chamomile has been known to cause uterine contractions that can invoke miscarriage, pregnant women are advised to not consume Roman chamomile ( Chamaemelum nobile).
Agriculture
The chamomile plant is known to be susceptible to many fungus, , and . The following fungi are known to attack this plant: Albugo tragopogonis (white rust), Cylindrosporium matricariae, Erysiphe cichoracearum (powdery mildew), E. polyphage, Halicobasidium purpureum, Peronospora leptosperma, Peronospora radii, Phytophthora cactorum, Puccinia anthemedis, Puccinia matricaiae, Septoria chamomillae, and Sphaerotheca macularis (powdery mildew). Also, yellow virus ( Chlorogenus callistephi var. californicus Holmes, Callistephus virus 1A) causes severe damage to this plant.
Historical descriptions
Nicholas Culpeper's 17th century The Complete Herbal has an illustration and several entries on chamomel.
In culture
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In The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902), Peter's mother gives him chamomile tea to cure his stomach ache.
[Michael Castleman ]
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Mary Wesley's 1984 novel The Camomile Lawn features a house in Cornwall with a lawn planted with chamomile rather than grass.
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In the 2001 No Doubt song "Hey Baby", chamomile is featured in the line "I'm just sippin' on chamomile", sung by Gwen Stefani.
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Chamomile is the floral emblem of Russia.
[James Minahan. The complete guide to national symbols and emblems, Vol. 1. Greenwood Press. 2009.]
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In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1, Falstaff proclaims “…the camomile grows faster the more it is trodden on“.
External links
