HERB - chamomile

[RAISYA]

Galen, you posted a quote from "Herbs of Choice"

>"For example, so-called true chamomile flowers were once said to be derived
>from Matricaria chamomilla L. pro parte or from Chamomilla recutita L
>(Rauschert). More recently, Matricaria recutita L. has become the preferred
>designation. All of these Latin names refer to the identical plant. The
>herb is also referred to by a wide variety of common names, including
>Matricaria (once the official National Formulary title), true chamomile,
>German chamomile, ..."

I found this a fascinating quote because the annual chamomile, M. recutita, is
being called the true chamomile while most of the information that I have
calls the perennial chamomile, Chamaemelum nobile (Roman, common or double
chamomile), the true chamomile.  In fact, the book I tend to trust most, THE
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HERBS AND HERBALISM (Malcolm Stuart, 1979, Crown Publishers,
Inc.) says specifically that M. recutita "... in botanical terms it is not a
true chamomile and it is also sometimes called Sweet False Chamomile." (German
or wild chamomile)  Both belong to the same family, though, the Compositae or
Asteraceae <G>.

However intriguing this confusion is, it strays a little from the original
question, which is German chamomile and which is Roman chamomile <G>.  The
annual is German chamomile and the perennial is Roman chamomile.  Both are
used the same way. 

Raisya
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