German Chamomile “Flos Chamomilae” Synonyms: Chamomile, Wild chamomile, Matricaria, Baboonig, Baboonig almani. Origin: Dried expanded flower-heads of Matricaria chamomilla F. Compositae or Asteraceae. * Matricaria (From the Latin Matrix=uterus), due to its supposed effect on the uterus * Chamomile (From the Greek Chamae-meleum=earth apple) because the plant grows close to the ground and due to its apple odour. Geog. sources: Western Asia, Europe, North Africa. Description: 1- Color: Greenish yellow to yellowish brown . 2- Odour: Pleasant aromatic, apple-like. 3- Taste: aromatic but slightly bitter. 4- Size: 6 mm (smaller in size). 5- Inflorescence: Capitulum, with few ray florets & numerous disc florets carried on a hollow conical receptacle & surrounded by an involucre. 6- Involucre: consists of 2-3 rows of green imbricated bracts (20-30) with a broad midrib (keel). No paleae (a membranous structure). Disc florets Ray florets 1 Numerous, yellow, central Few, white, in a single outer whorl 2 Hermaphrodite ♂♀ Pistillate ♀ 3 Calyx is absent Calyx is absent 4 Tubular yellow corolla with 5 apical Strap-like corolla with 3 apical teeth, teeth the central one is small 5 Androecium has 5 epipetalous Androecium is absent. syngenesious stamens 6 Gynaecium consists of inferior Gynaecium: as in disc florets ovary, short style and bifid stigma Powder: 1. Spiny spherical pollen grains with 3 germ pores and 3 furrows (key element). 2. Compositae hairs. 3. Anomocytic stomata 4. Non-glandular uniserriate multicellular hairs (the cells are equal in size). 5. Clusters of calcium oxalate. Epidermis of Clusters of Ca Ox Corolla of disc florets Fibrous layer Papillosed Stigma of anther Bract epidermis Filament with anomocytic epidermis stomata Pollen grains Papillosed corolla Outer epidermis of Sclereids Corolla of ray florets Compositae hairs in top view Active constituents: 1) Volatile oil: contains ester of chamomilla alcohol & acetic acid. * If prepared by solvent extraction: the oil is yellowish green. * If prepared by steam distillation: the oil is blue (due to conversion of the sesquiterpene [matricarin] to azulene derivative). 2) Bitter principles: anthemic acid and anthemidine. 3) Apigenin, umbilleferone methyl ester, bisabolol, bisabolol oxide. Uses: 1- Treatment of inflammations of the skin & mucus membranes. 2- Treatment of burns, boils & wounds and in cosmetics. 3- Antiphlogestic (= anti-inflammatory) due to chamazulene. 4- Emmenagogue and diaphoretic. 5- For flatulence and antispasmodic. 6- For insomnia and anxiety. Roman Chamomile “Cultivated Chamomilae” Origin: Dried expanded flower-heads of Anthemis nobilis F. Compositae - Roman: this name was given by a German physician who noted its abundance around Rome in Italy. Geog. sources: France, Italy, England, Belgium, Hungary. Description: 1- Color: White turns to yellow when kept. 2- Odour: Strong aromatic. 3- Size: 10-20 mm (larger than German chamomile). 4- Taste: aromatic and bitter. 5- Inflorescence: Double or Semidouble capitulum composed of several ray florets & few central disc florets carried on a solid conical receptacle. This is due to successive mutarotation of the yellow tubular corollas of the disc florets into white ligulate corollas similar to those of the ray florets. 6- Involucre: consists of 2-3 rows of green imbricated bracts. Paleae (a membranous lanceolate structure) is present. Disc florets Ray florets 1 Few, yellow, central Numerous, white, in several rows 2 Hermaphrodite ♂♀ Pistillate ♀ 3 Calyx is absent Calyx is absent 4 Tubular yellow corolla with 5 apical Strap-like corolla with 3 apical teeth, teeth the central one is larger 5 Androecium has 5 epipetalous Androecium is absent. syngenesious stamens 6 Gynaecium consists of inferior Gynaecium: as in disc florets ovary, short style and bifid stigma Key elements: 1. Spiny spherical pollen grains with warty cuticle having 3 germ pores and 3 germinal furrows (Key) 2. Compositae hairs. 3. Fragments of paleae and bract epidermises carrying non-glandular uniserriate multicellular hairs (the apical cell is very long) and showing anomocytic stomata. Paleae outer epidermis with anomocytic stomata Non-gl. hairs Bract outer epidermis with anomocytic stomata Item Roman Chamomile German Chamomile Origin Cultivated plant Wild plant Inflorescence Double or semidouble capitulum Capitulum (single flower head) Size Large (10-20 mm in diameter) Smaller (6 mm in diameter) Ray florets In several rows, numerous In one row, few Disc florets Few Numerous Receptacle Solid Hollow Paleae Present Absent With 3 apical teeth, the central one is With 3 apical teeth, the central one is Corolla large small Non-glandular Multicellular, uniserriate, the apical Multicellular, uniserriate, all cells are hairs cell is very long. equal in size. Pollen grains Spiny, spherical, and warty Spiny and spherical Volatile oil Higher percentage Lower percentage Active constituents: 1) Volatile oil: blue in color due to Chamazulene (if oil is steam distilled or yellow if the oil is extracted with solvent). The oil contains isobutyl & hexyl alcohols combined with angelic acid ,tiglic acid & butyric acid. 2) Bitter principles: anthemic acid. 3) Umbelliferone methyl ether, salicylic acid, dihydroxycinnamic acid, bisabolol and phytosterols. 4) Flavonoids: apigenin 7-O-glycoside and luteolin 7-O-glycoside. Uses: 1- Aromatic bitter stomachic. 2- Carminative and antispasmodic. 3- Antiphlogestic (= anti-inflammatory). Arnica “Mountain Tobacco” Origin: Dried flower-heads of Arnica montana F. Compositae or Asteraceae. Arnica: means Sheep's skin because the leaves are soft due to the covering trichomes. Montana: growing on mountains. Geog. sources: Central Europe. Description: 1- Color: Greyish yellow. 2- Odour: sweet aromatic pleasant. 3- Taste: bitter and acrid. 4- Touch: smooth. 5- Receptacle: flat surrounded by pappus (a hairy calyx). 6- Involucre: dark green, 20-25 bracts arranged in rows. 7- Ray florets: few (14-20) florets in a single outer whorl, bright yellow. 8- Disc florets: numerous (40-50) florets in the center, bright yellow. 9- The calyx of both disc and ray florets is reduced to pappus. Microscopical characters: Arnica flowers are characterized by the presence of: 1- Glandular compositae hairs. 2- Glandular hairs with unicellular stalk and unicellular head. 3- Glandular hairs with multicellular stalk and unicellular head. 4- Twin hairs: non-glandular formed of two cells with pointed apex. (Key) 5- Non-glandular unicellular hairs. 6- Non-glandular multicellular uniserriate hairs. Active constituents: 1- Traces of volatile oil: contains dimethyl ether of thymohydroquinone. 2- Bitter principle: Ornicin. 3- Yellow coloring matter: anthoxanthin, aenisterol and flavonoids e.g. quercetin 3-O-glucoside, beteolin 7-O-glucoside, kampherol 3-O-glucoside. 4- Tannins and resin. Uses: 1- Counter irritant. 2- Healing agent for ulcers. 3- Treatment of skin diseases. 4- Tonic for face. 5- In hair preparations. 6- Stimulant. Chinese Safflower “Calendula” Origin: The corollas of ray florets of Calendula officinalis Family: Compositae or Asteraceae Description: It consists of bright yellow strap-shaped corollas with 3 apical teeth. It has bitter taste and aromatic odour. Active constituents: 1- Bitter principles: e.g. Calendin. 2- Carotenoids pigments: Calendulin (water soluble and colors water yellow). 3- Flavonoids: e.g. isorhamnetin and quercetin glycosides. 4- Volatile oil. Uses: 1- Non-carcinogenic natural coloring matter. 2- To substitute Saffron. 3- Stimulant and carminative. American Safflower “Carthamus, False saffron” Origin: Dried disc florets of Carthamus tincturea Family: Compositae. Description: 1- It consists of reddish tubular (disc) florets. 2- The disc florets show deeply five-lobbed corolla, five yellow syngenesious epipetalous stamens, long bifid stigma, spherical spiny pollen grains. Active constituents: coloring matters: carthamin and carthamic acid. Corolla Uses: 1- Natural coloring matter. 2- To substitute Saffron. Stamens 3- Diaphoretic. Stigma Santonica “Flos Cinae” Synonyms: Semen Cinae, Wormseed, Artemisia, Sheih khorasani. Origin: It is the dried unexpanded flower-heads of Artemisia cina F. Compositae. Geog. sources: Deserts of Russian Turkestan (especially chimkent town) and West Pakistan. Collection and Drying: Flower heads are collected in July & August before expansion, dried & preserved. If the flower matures, the santonin constituent disappear Description: 1- Color: Greenish yellow turning brown on drying. 2- Odour: Faint aromatic. 3- Taste: bitter. 4- Size: very small, 2 mm long. 5- The flower head is formed of 3-4 disc florets. NO RAY FLORETS. 6- The flower head is surrounded by involucre consisting of 14-20 bracts. Microscopical characters: Santonica is characterized by: 1- Compositae hairs. 2- Anomocytic stomata. 3- Long non-glandular unicellular hairs (cottony or whip hairs) (key element). 4- Spherical smooth pollen grains with 3 germ pores and 3 germinal furrows (key element). Santonica differs from other Compositae flowers in: 1- Having no ray florets. 2- The spherical pollen grains are smooth (not spiny). 3- Presence of cottony hairs. Pollen grains Compositae hair in side view Anomocytic stomata Compositae hairs in top view Cottony or whip hairs Active constituents: 1- Volatile oil (2%): consists of cineole, terpineole, terpinene and pinene. 2- Bitter principle lactones: Santonin and Artimisin (8-hydroxysantonin). 3- Santoninic acid. Ch. Tests : 1- Powder + alc. KOH gives orange color. 2- Benzene extract residue + FeCl3 + conc. H2SO4 gives red violet color. 3- Kaselbach test: (specific for santonin): benzene extract residue + pot. Methoxide, warm, gives rose red color. Uses: Santonica and santonin were formerly used as anthelmintic for round worms (No effect on thread or tape worms). Their use has been stopped due to their toxicity and vision disturbances (blindness). .