The real chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) belongs to the large daisy family and is one of the most frequently used medicinal plants. She has some relatives who look very similar to her, but they are not medically effective. Therefore, precise knowledge of the individual characteristics is an advantage not only when growing, but especially when collecting.
Which types of chamomile can be found in nature?
Important types of chamomile are the medicinally effective true chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and Roman chamomile. Other species such as odorless chamomile and dog chamomile (field dog chamomile, stinking dog chamomile, dyer's dog chamomile, Ruthenian dog chamomile, Austrian dog chamomile) have no medicinal significance.
Medically relevant chamomiles
The most important thing among all types of chamomile is real chamomile, which is used primarily for inflammation, colds and gastrointestinal problems due to its high proportion of effective essential oils. The annual herb grows up to 50 centimeters high and is particularly noticeable because of 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 wider bracts, but the flower heads are similar in size to that of real chamomile. The two species mentioned are the only ones with medicinal significance.
Other types of chamomile
Other types of chamomile are not medicinally effective, but they often look very similar to real chamomile. Real chamomile is particularly often confused with odorless or false chamomile, which - as the name suggests - completely lacks the strong, characteristic chamomile scent. The large group of dog chamomiles, comprising around 100 different species, can also often be found in fields and fallow areas. This group includes species such as
- Field chamomile
- Smelly Dog Chamomile
- Dyer's chamomile
- Ruthenian chamomile
- and Austrian chamomile.
Only the bright yellow dyed chamomile can be easily distinguished from the other species. Also striking is the rayless chamomile, which is closely related to the true chamomile; but only has one flower head and no flower tongues.
How can you recognize real chamomile?
Even if the external similarity is quite great, real chamomile can still be identified precisely by some typical characteristics. You can recognize real chamomile by the following features:
- Flower base is cone-shaped (not smooth and round).
- The inside of the flower base is hollow (filled in other species).
- Real chamomile exudes a strong scent of chamomile.
- Towards the end of the flowering period, the white tongues hang down.
In addition, dog chamomile can be recognized by its slightly toothed petals, while those of real chamomile are smooth and more linear.
Tips & Tricks
The real chamomile, like all other types of chamomile, can be found everywhere in nature. If you don't want to go to the trouble of collecting, you can also grow the medicinal plant yourself in the garden (€1.00 on Amazon) or on the balcony.