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Chamomile
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Field of blooming chamomile flowers with white petals and yellow centers, surrounded by green foliage. Chamomile (Anthemis tomentosa)
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Also spelled:
camomile
Related Topics:
Asteraceae
German chamomile
Anthemis
chamomile tea
herb
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Field of blooming chamomile flowers with white petals and yellow centers, surrounded by green foliage.
Roman chamomile Roman, or English, chamomile flowers (Chamaemelum nobile).

Chamomile

plant
Also known as: camomile
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Britannica Editors
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Chamomile, any of various daisylike plants of the aster family (Asteraceae). Chamomile tea, used as a tonic and an antiseptic and in many herbal remedies, is made from English, or Roman, chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) or German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla). Several species are cultivated as garden ornamentals, especially golden marguerite, or yellow chamomile (Cota tinctoria).

Chamomile (Anthemis tomentosa)
Chamomile (Anthemis tomentosa)

Many members of the genus Anthemis, containing more than 100 species of Eurasian herbs, are also known as chamomile. They characteristically have yellow or white ray flowers and yellow disk flowers in compact flower heads. Mayweed, or stinking chamomile (A. cotula), is a strong-smelling weed that has been used in medicines and insecticides.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.