Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Matricaria chamomilla
wild chamomile, scented mayweed
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring in scattered locations on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east in sporadic occurrences to the Atlantic Coast.

Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed sites.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Annual

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bees, flies

Description:
General:

Aromatic annuals, the 1-8 stems erect to ascending, 8-60 cm. tall, often branched upward.

Leaves:

Leaves alternate, bipinnatifid, 2-8 cm. long, the ultimate segments elongate, linear to filiform.

Flowers:

Heads 8-120, borne singly, with ray flowers; peduncles 20-50 mm. long; involucral bracts 34-42, in 3 series, the margins mostly entire; ray flowers 14-26, white, the tubes narrowly winged, 7-8.5 mm. long and 2.5-3.3 mm. wide; disk flowers 250-570, the corollas yellow to greenish-yellow, 5-lobed; pappus usually none.

Fruits:

Achenes tan, obconic, 0.75-0.9 mm. long, with 5 white ribs.

Accepted Name:
Matricaria chamomilla L.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 2: 891. 1753.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Matricaria recutita L.
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Matricaria chamomilla in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Matricaria chamomilla checklist entry

OregonFlora: Matricaria chamomilla information

E-Flora BC: Matricaria chamomilla atlas page

CalPhotos: Matricaria chamomilla photos

5 photographs:
Group by