MATRICARIA RECUTITA: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, DISTRIBUTION, USES - BIOLOGY - 2024

Matricaria recutita is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. It is commonly known as chamomile, common chamomile, Castile chamomile, German chamomile, and chamomile.

German chamomile is an annual species that can present some glandular trichomes. It has an erect stem, with many branches, and its height can be up to 60 cm. The leaves of this plant are alternate, without a petiole, and are between 5 and 7 cm long. They are not integers, but are divided as bi or tripinnatisects.

Inflorescences of Matricaria recutita. Source: pixabay.com

The flower or rather the chapter type inflorescence, is the most important and commercial part of this species. In it are the chemical compounds most used by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry and, of course, it is the structure that is harvested and the one that is taken into account to measure its performance.

Fruit

This species produces a dry and indehiscent fruit that contains a single seed. This type of fruit is known as achene or cipsela, it has a cylindrical, oblique shape, and does not measure more than 1 mm in length.

In the ventral part of the fruit there are 4 or 5 ribs and at the apex a structure known as vilano is formed, whose shape is similar to a crown.

Chemical composition

Chamomile contains acid mucilages, coumarins, phenolic acids, essential oil and sequiterpenic lactones. The blue color of the dye owes its color to the substance called chamazulene, which is a compound that is formed from the decomposition of the sequiterpene lactone matricin.

-Species: Matricaria recutita L.

Some of its most common synonyms are Matricaria chamomilla, Anthemis vulgaris, Camomilla patens, Chamaemelum chamomilla, Chamaemelum chamomilla, Chamaemelum vulgare, Chamomilla courrantiana, Chamomilla meridionalis, Chamomilla officinalis, Chamomilla recutita, Chamomilla recutita. bayeri.

However, others are also used, such as Chamomilla vulgaris, Chrysanthemum chamomilla, Courrantia chamomilloides, Leucanthemum chamaemelum, Matricaria coronata, Matricaria courrantiana, Matricaria littoralis, Matricaria patens, Matricaria pusilla, Matricaria obliqua, Matricaria pyretholia, Matricaria tenolia, Matricaria soft Pyrethrum hispanicum.

Illustration of Matricaria recutita. Source: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen

Habitat and distribution

Matricaria recutita is a plant present in many countries. It is a species native to Eurasia, and grows in temperate regions on the rest of the continents. It is distributed from 2250 to 2800 meters above sea level.

Especially in Mexico it has been found in Chiapas, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Federal District, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Potosí, Sinaloa, Tlaxcala, San Luis de Potosí, Veracruz and Zacatecas.

It grows on the edge of roads, next to hedges, is cultivated in gardens, and can occasionally behave as a weed.

Applications

Matricaria recutita is used to prepare a very useful tea to relieve stomach discomfort. Besides this medicinal use, it also has useful properties in the veterinary area.

It is also used as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, sedative, anti-infective, emmenagogue, febrifuge, antifungal, and its application can be topical or oral.

On the other hand, it is used as a decoration for ceremonies and religious services.

Its use is very frequent for the manufacture of cosmetics such as soaps and shampoos to which it provides its bactericidal properties, and dyes to which it provides its coloring potential. However, use in allergy sufferers can cause dermatitis.

It can be used as an aromatic and is grown in home gardens in regions close to pine-oak forests and mesophilic forest.

Preparation mode

It is recommended to prepare an infusion in 150 mL of boiling water, add 3 g (one tablespoon) of flowers, and filter after 5 to 10 minutes. This preparation should be taken 3 to 4 times a day.

Also, this preparation can be diluted to 3% and applied as eye drops. This infusion can also be prepared at 20% and applied to revive the color of light or blonde hair.

Culture

Temperature

Common chamomile grows well in temperate and more or less humid climates.

Cultivation of the common chamomile or German chamomile. Source: wikimedia commons.

Floor

This species adapts to many types of soil, although it prefers sandy-loam ones with medium fertility, good drainage but that retain a little moisture.

When this plant is planted in very rich or fertile soils, there is greater development of the vegetative part, therefore, a lower production of flowers than the harvested part, which leads to a lower yield.

When selecting the land, it should be considered that chamomile has not been cultivated for two or three years as this would increase pests and diseases in the place.

Preferably the cultivation should be established in a place where some type of winter cereal has been previously sown, since this is harvested at the end of the year; in this way a good fallow can be achieved and an early sowing can be prepared.

In the case of pastures in natural fields, a prior control of soil pests should be done. With regard to relief, it is convenient to choose hills, medium hills and plains. Also, consider controlling some rhizomatous weeds to avoid major problems during cultivation.

With regard to mechanization, the land must be worked very well before sowing, since the seed of Matricaria recutita is very small. Therefore, it is necessary to apply several passes of plow and harrow until the ground is completely even and crumbled.

Sowing time is late fall and early spring. It is sown broadcast or also in separate lines between 20-40 cm.

Harvest

Flower harvesting should be done when the flower heads or inflorescences are fully open. This occurs from early to late spring.

The way to harvest chamomile can be with a metal comb that is passed over the plants. The purpose of this comb is to retain the hairs between the teeth and has a cutting edge capable of cutting the peduncles.

Frame of common chamomile shown its ray flowers and disk flowers. Source: Stefan.lefnaer

Likewise, the flowers can be collected by means of a human-powered cart, which is a box with wheels about three meters wide. This cart has a comb with iron teeth at the front that cuts the flowers from the peduncle as it advances and passes them to the collector.

These ways of harvesting are valid but not the most used. Instead, the most widely applied way to harvest is the use of automotive harvesting machines that enlarge the harvesting area.

The harvest should be done from dusk until the next morning, since the peduncles at that time of day are more tender and can be cut closer to the flowers. Two cuts can be made in a well-worked field, in the first 2/3 of the yield are produced, and in the second 1/3 of the yield per year.

References

1. Catalog of Life: 2019 Annual Checklist. Species details: Matricaria chamomilla L. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org
2. CONABIO. 2009. Matricaria recutita L. Manzanilla. Taken from: conabio.gob.mx
3. Del Valle-Pérez, L., Macías-Abraham, C., Socarrás-Ferrer, B., Marsán-Suárez, V., Sánchez-Segura, M., Palma-Salgado, L., Lam-Díaz, R. 2012 In vitro effect of Matricaria recutita L., on the response of lymphocytes and neutrophils. Cuban Journal of Hematology, Immunology and Hemotherapy 28 (2): 177-184.
4. Muñoz, O., Montes, M., Wilkomirsky, T. 2001. Medicinal plants for use in Chile. University Publishing House. Taken from: books.google.co.ve
5. Herbotechnics. 2019. Common chamomile. Taken from: herbotecnia.com.ar