Matricaria discoidea

Matricaria discoidea, commonly known as pineappleweed,[3] wild chamomile, and disc mayweed, is an annual plant native to northeast Asia where it grows as a common herb of fields, gardens, and roadsides.[4] It is in the family Asteraceae. The flowers exude a chamomile/pineapple aroma when crushed. They are edible and have been used in salads (although they may become bitter by the time the plant blooms) and to make herbal tea. Pineappleweed has been used for medicinal purposes, including for relief of gastrointestinal upset, infected sores, fevers, and postpartum anemia.

Matricaria discoidea
Pineappleweed
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Matricaria
Species:
M. discoidea
Binomial name
Matricaria discoidea
Synonyms

Artemisia matricarioides auct.
Chamomilla suaveolens (Pursh) Rydb.
Lepidanthus suaveolens (Pursh) Nutt.
Lepidotheca suaveolens (Pursh) Nutt.
Matricaria matricarioides auct.
Matricaria suaveolens (Pursh) Buchenau
Santolina suaveolens Pursh
Tanacetum suaveolens (Pursh) Hook.
Source: NRCS,[1] GRIN[2]

Description

The flower head is cone-shaped, composed of densely packed yellowish-green corollas, and lacking ray-florets. The leaves are pinnately dissected and sweet-scented when crushed. The plant grows 2 to 16 in (5.1 to 40.6 cm) high. Flowerheads are produced from March to September.

Distribution

The plant grows well in disturbed areas, especially those with poor, compacted soil. It can be seen blooming on footpaths, roadsides, and similar places in spring and early summer. In North America, it can be found from central Alaska down to California and all the way to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It has also become common and naturalized in Britain.[5]

Native
Palearctic
Russian Far East: Amur Oblast, Kamchatka Peninsula, Khabarovsk Krai, Kuril Islands, Magadan Oblast, Primorsky Krai, Sakhalin
Eastern Asia: Hokkaido

Uses

The greens can be washed and eaten, and both the flowers and the whole plant can be steeped to make tea.[6]

  • The pinnately dissected leaves are sweet-scented when crushed

References
  1. "Matricaria discoidea". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  2. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) (2005-09-07). "Taxon: Matricaria discoidea DC". Taxonomy for Plants. USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Archived from the original on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-06-14.
  3. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  4. "Pineapple Mayweed". NatureGate.
  5. The Wildlife Trusts, "Pineappleweed" http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/species/pineappleweed
  6. Nyerges, Christopher (2017). Foraging Washington: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides. ISBN 978-1-4930-2534-3. OCLC 965922681.
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