''Tanacetum parthenium'', known as feverfew, is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the daisy 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 ...

. It may be grown as an ornament, and may be identified by its synonyms, ''Chrysanthemum parthenium'' and ''Pyrethrum parthenium''. Having its origin in the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

region, it is now distributed worldwide. Although long used in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...

, there is no clinical evidence that it has any therapeutic effects.

Description

The plant is a herbaceous perennial that grows into a small bush, up to high, with pungently-scented leaves. The leaves are light yellowish green, variously pinnatifid. The conspicuous daisy-like flowers are up to across, borne in lax

corymb Corymb is a botanical term for an inflorescence with the flowers growing in such a fashion that the outermost are borne on longer pedicels than the inner, bringing all flowers up to a common level. A corymb has a flattish top with a superficial re ...

s. The outer, ray florets have white

ligules A ligule (from "strap", variant of ''lingula'', from ''lingua'' "tongue") is a thin outgrowth at the junction of leaf and leafstalk of many Poaceae, grasses (family Poaceae) and Cyperaceae, sedges (family Cyperaceae). A ligule is also a strap-shap ...

and the inner, disc florets are yellow and tubular. It spreads rapidly by seed, and will cover a wide area after a few years. The plant produces achene fruit, and grows in stony slopes and river beds.

Location and cultivation

Feverfew is native to Eurasia, specifically in the Balkans,

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

, and the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

, but cultivation has spread it around the world. A perennial herb, it favors full sun apart. It grows up to tall. It is hardy to

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 ...

zone 5 (). Outside of its native range, it may become an invasive weed.

Uses

Phytochemicals and traditional medicine

Phytochemical Phytochemicals are naturally-occurring chemicals present in or extracted from plants. Some phytochemicals are nutrients for the plant, while others are metabolites produced to enhance plant survivability and reproduction. The fields of ext ...

s found in feverfew include

parthenolide Parthenolide is a sesquiterpene lactone of the germacranolide class which occurs naturally in the plant feverfew ('' Tanacetum parthenium''), after which it is named, and in the closely related tansy (''Tanacetum vulgare''). It is found in highes ...

camphor Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (''Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapu ...

, and the

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 ...

s, luteolin, and

apigenin Apigenin (4′,5,7-trihydroxyflavone), found in many plants, is a flavone compound that is the aglycone of several naturally occurring glycosides. It is a yellow crystalline solid that has been used to dye wool. Apigenin is abundant in parsl ...

. Feverfew has been used in traditional medicine, particularly in Europe, where it is mentioned in an herbal monograph as a safe compound. There is no good evidence for its use in treating

migraine Migraine (, ) is a complex neurological disorder characterized by episodes of moderate-to-severe headache, most often unilateral and generally associated with nausea, and light and sound sensitivity. Other characterizing symptoms may includ ...

headaches or any other clinical condition.

Dietary supplement

The parthenolide content of commercially available feverfew supplements varies substantially (by more than 40-fold) despite labeling claims of "standardization".

Adverse effects

Long-term use of feverfew followed by abrupt discontinuation may induce a withdrawal syndrome featuring rebound headaches and muscle and joint pains. Feverfew may cause allergic reactions in those allergic to the daisy family, including

contact dermatitis Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes ...

or swelling and numbness of the mouth. Other side effects have included gastrointestinal upset such as mild nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence, which are, fortunately mild and transient. When the herb is chewed or taken orally it may cause

mouth ulcer A mouth ulcer (aphtha), or sometimes called a canker sore or salt blister, is an ulcer that occurs on the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. Mouth ulcers are very common, occurring in association with many diseases and by many different mechanis ...

s. Feverfew should not be taken by pregnant women. It may interact with

blood thinners An anticoagulant, commonly known as a blood thinner, is a chemical substance that prevents or reduces the coagulation of blood, prolonging the clotting time. Some occur naturally in blood-eating animals, such as leeches and mosquitoes, which h ...

and increase the risk of bleeding, and also may interact with a variety of medications metabolized by the liver.

History and etymology

The word ''feverfew'' possibly derives from a feathery plant known as ''featherfew''. Although its earliest use is unknown, it was documented in the 1st century CE by the Greek herbalist physician

Dioscorides Pedanius Dioscorides (, ; 40–90 AD), "the father of pharmacognosy", was a Greek physician, pharmacologist, botanist, and author of (in the original , , both meaning "On Materia medica, Medical Material") , a 5-volume Greek encyclopedic phar ...

. Much earlier, but less specifically, a text of Hippocrates in the 4th century BCE lists it as useful in treating lesions (''On Ulcers'' 14).

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q818481 Medicinal plants of Asia parthenium Herbs Medicinal plants of Europe