Chamomile (

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the Languages of the United States, most widely spoken lang ...

) or camomile (

British English British English is the set of Variety (linguistics), varieties of the English language native to the United Kingdom, especially Great Britain. More narrowly, it can refer specifically to the English language in England, or, more broadly, to ...

; see spelling differences) ( or ) is the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often con ...

for several plants of the family

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

. Two of the species, '' Matricaria chamomilla'' and '' Chamaemelum nobile'', are commonly used to make herbal infusions for beverages. Chamomile is used as a flavoring in foods, beverages, and

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

, in

herbal teas Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plain t ...

, in

brewing Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and #Fermenting, fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with Yeast#Beer, yeast. It may be done in a brewery ...

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

, and as a ground cover or seating plant in gardens. There is no clinical evidence supporting the effectiveness of consuming chamomile to treat any diseases. Chamomile may interact adversely with various herbs and drugs, worsen pollen allergies, and is not recommended for people with

hormone A hormone (from the Ancient Greek, Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of cell signaling, signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs or tissues by complex biological processes to regulate physio ...

-sensitive conditions or when combined with anticoagulants. Because Roman chamomile may cause uterine contractions, it should not be used during

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring gestation, gestates inside a woman's uterus. A multiple birth, multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Conception (biology), Conception usually occurs ...

, and its safety during

breastfeeding Breastfeeding, also known as nursing, is the process where breast milk is fed to a child. Infants may suck the milk directly from the breast, or milk may be extracted with a Breast pump, pump and then fed to the infant. The World Health Orga ...

is unknown. Chamomile is highly susceptible to numerous

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

viruses A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are found in almo ...

, and

insects Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...

, which collectively pose significant threats to its cultivation. Chamomile appears in

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

music Music is the arrangement of sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm, or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Music is generally agreed to be a cultural universal that is present in all hum ...

, 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 A metaphor is a figure of speech that, for rhetorical effect, directly refers to one thing by mentioning another. It may provide, or obscure, clarity or identify hidden similarities between two different ideas. Metaphors are usually meant to cr ...

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, and as

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

’s national flower.

Etymology

The word ''chamomile'' is derived via French and

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, from the Greek , from , and . First used in the 13th century, the spelling ''chamomile'' corresponds to the Latin and the Greek . The spelling ''camomile'' is a British derivation from the French.

Species

Some commonly used species include: * '' Matricaria chamomilla'' – often called "German chamomile" or "Water of Youth" * '' 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'

s include the word ''chamomile''. This does not necessarily mean they are used in the same manner as the species used in the

herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...

known as "chamomile". Plants including the common name ''chamomile'', of the family

, are: * '' Anthemis arvensis'' – corn, scentless or field chamomile * '' Anthemis cotula'' – stinking chamomile * '' Cladanthus mixtus'' – Moroccan chamomile * '' Cota tinctoria'' – dyer's, golden, oxeye, or yellow chamomile * '' Eriocephalus punctulatus'' – Cape chamomile * '' Matricaria discoidea'' – wild chamomile or pineapple weed * '' Oncosiphon pilulifer'' – globe chamomile * '' Tripleurospermum inodorum'' – wild, scentless or false chamomile

Uses

Chamomile may be used as a flavouring agent in foods and beverages, mouthwash, soaps, and

. 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

, 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" chamomile seats, raised beds which are about half a meter tall, and designed to be sat upon. Chamomile lawns 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 anti-anxiety properties. There is no good evidence that it is useful for treating

insomnia Insomnia, also known as sleeplessness, is a sleep disorder where people have difficulty sleeping. They may have difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep for as long as desired. Insomnia is typically followed by daytime sleepiness, low ene ...

Phytochemicals

The main compounds in chamomile flowers are coumarins, flavonoids, and

polyphenol Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring phenols. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some of which have been used historically as ...

s, including apigenin, quercetin, patuletin, luteolin, and daphnin.

Drug interactions

The use of chamomile has the potential to cause adverse interactions with numerous herbal products and

prescription drug A prescription drug (also prescription medication, prescription medicine or prescription-only medication) is a pharmaceutical drug that is permitted to be dispensed only to those with a medical prescription. In contrast, over-the-counter drugs c ...

s and may worsen pollen

allergies Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include Allergic rhinitis, hay fever, Food allergy, food al ...

. People who are allergic to ragweed (also in the daisy family) may be allergic to chamomile due to cross-reactivity. Chamomile consists of several ingredients including coumarin,

glycoside In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...

, herniarin,

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

, 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. However, until more information is available, it is not recommended to use these substances concurrently. Chamomile should not be used by people with past or present cancers of the

breast The breasts are two prominences located on the upper ventral region of the torso among humans and other primates. Both sexes develop breasts from the same embryology, embryological tissues. The relative size and development of the breasts is ...

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

, or

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', : uteri or uteruses) or womb () is the hollow organ, organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans, that accommodates the embryonic development, embryonic and prenatal development, f ...

;

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease in which Tissue (biology), tissue similar to the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, grows in other places in the body, outside the uterus. It occurs in women and a limited number of other female mammals. Endomet ...

; or uterine fibroids.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Because chamomile has been known to cause uterine contractions that can invoke

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion, is an end to pregnancy resulting in the loss and expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb before it can fetal viability, survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks ...

, pregnant women are advised to not consume Roman chamomile (''Chamaemelum nobile''). Although oral consumption of chamomile is

generally recognized as safe Generally recognized as safe (GRAS) is a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation that a chemical or substance added to food is considered safe by experts under the conditions of its intended use. An ingredient with a GRAS d ...

in the United States, there is insufficient clinical evidence about its potential for affecting nursing infants.

Agriculture

The chamomile plant is known to be susceptible to many

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s, and

virus A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living Cell (biology), cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are ...

es. 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.

Aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

s (''Aphis fabae'') have been observed feeding on chamomile plants and the moth '' Autographa chryson'' causes defoliation.The insect ''Nysius minor'' caused shedding of ''M. chamomilla'' flowers,

Historical descriptions

Nicholas Culpeper's 17th century ''The Complete Herbal'' has an illustration and several entries on ''chamomel''.

In culture

* In '' The Tale of Peter Rabbit'' by Beatrix Potter (1902), Peter's mother gives him chamomile tea to cure his stomach ache.Michael Castleman * Mary Wesley's 1984 novel '' The Camomile Lawn'' features a house in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

with a lawn planted with chamomile rather than grass. * In the 2001 No Doubt song " Hey Baby", chamomile is featured in the line "I'm just sippin' on chamomile", sung by Gwen Stefani. * Chamomile is the national flower of Russia.James Minahan. ''The complete guide to national symbols and emblems, Vol. 1''. Greenwood Press. 2009. * In Shakespeare’s

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the Battle of H ...

, Falstaff proclaims “…the camomile grows faster the more it is trodden on“.

References

External links

PLANTS Profile: Anthemis tinctoria L. (golden chamomile)

USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...

* {{Medicinal herbs & fungi Flower teas Herbal teas Medicinal plants Medicinal plants of Europe Medicinal plants of North America Flora of Mexico Plant common names