Chamomile, German ~ Matricaria recutita

Chamomile, German

Latin name: Matricaria recutita

Family: Asteraceae

Part used: flowers

Habitat: native to Europe, NW Asia; cultivated and naturalized inN. America and elsewhere

Main constituents: volatile oil (alpha-bisabolol), azulenes (matricin), flavonoids (apigenin, luteolin), quercetin, polysaccharides

Energetics: sweet, aromatic, slightly bitter

Main herbal actions: sedative, carminative, antispasmodic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic

Minor herbal actions: immunostimulating, antipyretic, antifungal

Main medicinal uses: insomnia, gastric ulcers, indigestion, diarrhea, colic, teething pains, menstrual cramps

Minor medicinal uses: gout, neural irritability, sciatica, infantile convulsions, wounds, burns

Preparations: infusion: 1-2 tsp/cup water, 1 cup tid; powder: 2-8 g qd; 1:1.4 tincture: 20-75 gtt qd-qid (note possible discrepancies for doses of different preparations)

Contraindications: may cause allergic hypersensitivity such as contact dermatitis and anaphylaxis in some individuals (theoretical- rare)

Toxicity: non-toxic

Sources: Sharol Tilgner, N.D.: Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth; Wren, R.C. Potter’s New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations