Medicinally relevant chamomiles
Has the most important importance among all types of chamomile the real chamomilewhich, due to its high proportion of effective essential oils, is mainly used for inflammation, colds and gastrointestinal problems. The annual herb grows up to 50 centimeters high and is particularly noticeable for its characteristic flowers. The bright yellow flower heads are surrounded by around 20 to 30 bracts. In addition to real chamomile, the rarer Roman chamomile is also used as a medicinal herb. This has significantly shorter and broad bracts, the flower heads, however, are similar in size to the real chamomile. The two types mentioned are the only ones with a medicinal significance.
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- Dog chamomile - highly poisonous or hardly poisonous?
- Real chamomile - profile of a popular medicinal plant
Other species of chamomile
Other species of chamomile are not medicinally effective, but see the real chamomile often confusingly similar
. The real chamomile is often confused with the odorless or false chamomile, which - as the name suggests - completely lacks the strong, characteristic chamomile scent. The large group of chamomiles, comprising around 100 different species, is also often found in fields and fallow land. This group includes types like- Field chamomile
- Smelly dog chamomile
- Dyer's chamomile
- Ruthenian dog chamomile
- and Austrian Dog chamomile.
Only the strong yellow colored dyer's chamomile can be easily distinguished from the other species. Also striking is the radiant chamomile, which is closely related to the real chamomile; but only has a flower head, but no flower tongues.
How can you recognize real chamomile?
Even if the outward resemblance is quite great, the real chamomile can still be precisely identified by some typical characteristics. You can recognize real chamomile by the following characteristics:
- The flower base is conical (not smooth and round).
- The interior of the flower base is hollow (in other species it is filled).
- The real chamomile gives off a strong scent of chamomile.
- Towards the end of the flowering period, the white tongues droop.
In addition, the dog chamomile can be recognized by the slightly serrated petals, while those of the real chamomile are smooth and more linear.
Tips & Tricks
Like all other chamomile species, real chamomile can be found everywhere in nature. Who is not the Trouble collecting the medicinal plant can also be used in the garden or on the balcony grow yourself.
IJA