''Matricaria'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of flowering plants in the chamomile tribe within the sunflower family. Some of the species have the common name of "mayweed," but this name also refers to plants not in this genus. Most are very common in the temperate regions of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

, and America, as well as in northern and southern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, and some are naturalised in Australia. '' Matricaria occidentalis'' is native to North America; other species have been introduced there.Flora of North America, Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 540 Mayweed, chamomile, matricary, matricaire, chamomille ''Matricaria'' Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 890. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 380. 1754.
/ref> These are hardy, pleasantly

aromatic In chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property of cyclic (ring-shaped), ''typically'' planar (flat) molecular structures with pi bonds in resonance (those containing delocalized electrons) that gives increased stability compared to sat ...

annuals, growing along roadsides in ruderal communities and in fallow land rich in nutrients. Though many are considered nuisance

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

s, they are suitable for rock gardens and herb gardens, and as border plants. Their many-branched stems are prostrate to erect, glabrous, and very leafy. Their bipinnate leaves have numerous linear, narrowly lobed leaflets. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

s are radially symmetrical. The greenish-yellow capitula are semi-spherical. The white ray florets can be present (''M. recutita'') or lacking (''M. discoidea''). The disc florets are 4- to 5-dentate. The receptacle is 2–3 times as high as wide. The pappus may be crown-shaped and short, or lacking. ''Matricaria'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

e of some Lepidoptera species ( caterpillars) including lime-speck pug. The extract of '' Matricaria chamomilla (or recutita)'' (German chamomile) is taken as a strong tea. It has been used in herbal medicine as a carminative and anti-inflammatory. It is also used in ointments and lotions, and as a mouthwash against infections of mouth and gums. Aromatherapy uses two essential oils of chamomile: the "true chamomile" oil (or German chamomile oil, from ''M. recutita'') and the Roman chamomile oil (from '' Chamaemelum nobile''). The

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

of ''Matricaria'' is controversial and very confused. Several species are classified either in ''

Tripleurospermum ''Tripleurospermum'' is a genus in the chamomile tribe within the sunflower family. Mayweed is a common name for plants in this genus. Most of the species are from Europe and temperate Asia although a few are from North America and North Afr ...

'' or ''Matricaria'' depending on the interpretation of the author. The distinction is made according to the number of the seed ribs: ''Tripleurospermum'' has one adaxial and two lateral seed ribs, while ''Matricaria'' has four or five adaxial seed ribs. ; Species

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* {{Taxonbar, from=Q27618 Anthemideae Asteraceae genera

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