167 Species in Genus Anthemis

Anthemis: A Daisy for All Seasons (by Ferb Vu)

The world of botany is a vast and fascinating one, filled with an endless array of plant life, each with its own unique characteristics and beauty. As an amateur botanist, I’m constantly drawn to the diversity and complexity of the plant kingdom. Lately, I’ve been particularly captivated by the genus Anthemis, a group of flowering plants that belong to the Asteraceae family. You might know them better by their common name: chamomile.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Chamomile? That sleepy-time tea? But there’s much more to Anthemis than just a soothing beverage. This genus boasts a diverse range of species, each with its own distinct features and uses. From the vibrant yellow blooms of the Golden Marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria) to the delicate white petals of the Mayweed (Anthemis cotula), the genus offers a delightful spectrum of colors and forms.

A Closer Look at Anthemis

What exactly sets Anthemis apart? Well, these plants are typically herbaceous, meaning they lack woody stems. They’re often aromatic, releasing a pleasant fragrance when their leaves or flowers are crushed. This aromatic quality is thanks to the presence of essential oils, which have been valued for their medicinal and therapeutic properties for centuries.

But the real showstopper is the flower. Like all members of the Asteraceae family, Anthemis plants produce composite flower heads, which are actually clusters of many tiny flowers. These flower heads typically consist of a central disc of yellow florets surrounded by a ring of white or yellow ray florets, creating the appearance of a single, larger flower. This clever design is a magnet for pollinators like bees and butterflies, ensuring the continuation of these lovely plants.

Diving into Diversity: Anthemis Species

The Anthemis genus is surprisingly diverse. It encompasses roughly 167 species, each with its own unique characteristics. Here are:

  1. Anthemis aaronsohnii Eig
  2. Anthemis abrotanifolia (Willd.) Guss.
  3. Anthemis abylaea (Font Quer & Maire) Oberpr.
  4. Anthemis aciphylla Boiss.
  5. Anthemis adonidifolia Boiss.
  6. Anthemis aeolica Lojac.
  7. Anthemis aetnensis Spreng.
  8. Anthemis alpestris (Hoffmanns. & Link) R.Fern.
  9. Anthemis ammanthus Greuter
  10. Anthemis ammophila Boiss. & Heldr.
  11. Anthemis anthemiformis (Freyn & Sint.) Grierson
  12. Anthemis arenicola Boiss.
  13. Anthemis argyrophylla Velen.
  14. Anthemis arvensis L.
  15. Anthemis atropatana Iranshahr
  16. Anthemis auriculata Boiss.
  17. Anthemis austroiranica Rech.f., Aellen & Esfand.
  18. Anthemis × bollei Sch.Bip. ex Asch.
  19. Anthemis bornmuelleri Stoj. & Acht.
  20. Anthemis bourgaei Boiss. & Reut.
  21. Anthemis boveana J.Gay
  22. Anthemis brachycarpa Eig
  23. Anthemis brachystephana Bornm. & Gauba
  24. Anthemis breviradiata Eig
  25. Anthemis bushehrica Iranshahr
  26. Anthemis candidissima Willd. ex Spreng.
  27. Anthemis chia L.
  28. Anthemis chrysantha J.Gay
  29. Anthemis concolor Lojac.
  30. Anthemis confusa Pomel
  31. Anthemis cornucopiae Boiss.
  32. Anthemis corymbulosa Boiss. & Hausskn.
  33. Anthemis cotula L.
  34. Anthemis cretica L.
  35. Anthemis cuneata Hub.-Mor. & Reese
  36. Anthemis cupaniana Tod. ex Nyman
  37. Anthemis cyrenaica Coss.
  38. Anthemis davisii Yavin
  39. Anthemis deserti Boiss.
  40. Anthemis deserticola Krasch. & Popov
  41. Anthemis dicksoniae Ghafoor
  42. Anthemis didymaea Mouterde
  43. Anthemis edumea Eig
  44. Anthemis ekicii Özbek, H.Duman & Aytaç
  45. Anthemis eliezrae Eig
  46. Anthemis emasensis Eig
  47. Anthemis fayedina Zareh
  48. Anthemis filicaulis (Boiss. & Heldr.) Greuter
  49. Anthemis fimbriata Boiss.
  50. Anthemis freitagii Iranshahr
  51. Anthemis fumariifolia Boiss.
  52. Anthemis fungosa Boiss. & Hausskn.
  53. Anthemis funkii (Sch.Bip. ex Willk.) Benedí
  54. Anthemis gharbensis Oberpr.
  55. Anthemis gilanica Bornm. & Gauba
  56. Anthemis gillettii Iranshahr
  57. Anthemis glaberrima (Rech.f.) Greuter
  58. Anthemis glareosa E.Durand & Barratte
  59. Anthemis gracilis Iranshahr
  60. Anthemis hamrinensis Iranshahr
  61. Anthemis handel-mazzettii Eig
  62. Anthemis haussknechtii Boiss. & Reut.
  63. Anthemis hebronica Boiss. & Kotschy
  64. Anthemis hemistephana Boiss.
  65. Anthemis hermonis Eig
  66. Anthemis hirtella C.Winkl.
  67. Anthemis homalolepis Eig
  68. Anthemis hyalina DC.
  69. Anthemis hydruntina E.Groves
  70. Anthemis indurata Delile
  71. Anthemis iranica Parsa
  72. Anthemis ismelia Lojac.
  73. Anthemis jordanovii Stoj. & Acht.
  74. Anthemis kandaharica Iranshahr
  75. Anthemis karacae Güner
  76. Anthemis kermanica Parsa
  77. Anthemis kitaibelii Spreng.
  78. Anthemis kotschyana Boiss.
  79. Anthemis kruegeriana Pamp.
  80. Anthemis laconica Franzén
  81. Anthemis leptophylla Eig
  82. Anthemis leucanthemifolia Boiss. & C.I.Blanche
  83. Anthemis leucolepis Eig
  84. Anthemis lithuanica Besser ex DC.
  85. Anthemis lorestanica Iranshahr
  86. Anthemis macedonica Boiss. & Orph.
  87. Anthemis macrotis (Rech.f.) Oberpr. & Vogt
  88. Anthemis maris-mortui Eig
  89. Anthemis maritima L.
  90. Anthemis marocana Batt. & Pit.
  91. Anthemis mauritiana Maire & Sennen
  92. Anthemis melampodina Delile
  93. Anthemis melanacme Boiss. & Hausskn.
  94. Anthemis melia Biel & Kit Tan
  95. Anthemis micrantha Boiss. & Hausskn.
  96. Anthemis microcephala (Schrenk) B.Fedtsch.
  97. Anthemis microlepis Eig
  98. Anthemis microsperma Boiss. & Kotschy
  99. Anthemis mirheydari Iranshahr
  100. Anthemis moghanica Iranshahr
  101. Anthemis monilicostata Pomel
  102. Anthemis muricata (DC.) Guss.
  103. Anthemis nabataea Eig
  104. Anthemis odontostephana Boiss.
  105. Anthemis orbelica Pančić
  106. Anthemis orientalis (L.) Degen
  107. Anthemis parlatoreana Raimondo, Bajona, Spadaro & Di Grist.
  108. Anthemis parnesia Boiss. & Heldr.
  109. Anthemis parvifolia Eig
  110. Anthemis pasiphaes Goula & Constantin.
  111. Anthemis patentissima Eig
  112. Anthemis pauciloba Boiss.
  113. Anthemis pedunculata Desf.
  114. Anthemis peregrina L.
  115. Anthemis persica Boiss.
  116. Anthemis pignattiorum Guarino, Raimondo & Domina
  117. Anthemis pindicola Heldr. ex Halácsy
  118. Anthemis plebeia Boiss. & Noë
  119. Anthemis plutonia Meikle
  120. Anthemis pseudoabrotanifolia C.Brullo, Brullo & Giusso
  121. Anthemis pseudocotula Boiss.
  122. Anthemis pulvinata Brullo, Scelsi & Spamp.
  123. Anthemis punctata Vahl
  124. Anthemis pungens Yavin
  125. Anthemis rascheyana Boiss.
  126. Anthemis regis-borisii Stoj. & Acht.
  127. Anthemis retusa Delile
  128. Anthemis rhodensis Boiss.
  129. Anthemis rhodocentra Iranshahr
  130. Anthemis rigida Boiss. ex Heldr.
  131. Anthemis rosea Sm.
  132. Anthemis rumelica (Velen.) Stoj. & Acht.
  133. Anthemis ruthenica M.Bieb.
  134. Anthemis samariensis Turland
  135. Anthemis scariosa Banks & Sol.
  136. Anthemis schizostephana Boiss. & Hausskn.
  137. Anthemis scopulorum Rech.f.
  138. Anthemis scrobicularis Yavin
  139. Anthemis secundiramea Biv.
  140. Anthemis serpentinica Goula & Constantin.
  141. Anthemis sheilae Ghafoor & Al-Turki
  142. Anthemis sibthorpii Griseb.
  143. Anthemis sintenisii Freyn
  144. Anthemis spruneri Boiss. & Heldr.
  145. Anthemis sterilis Steven
  146. Anthemis stiparum Pomel
  147. Anthemis susiana Nábělek
  148. Anthemis taubertii E.Durand & Barratte
  149. Anthemis tenuicarpa Eig
  150. Anthemis tenuisecta Ball
  151. Anthemis tigreensis J.Gay ex A.Rich.
  152. Anthemis tomentella Greuter
  153. Anthemis tomentosa L.
  154. Anthemis tranzscheliana Fed.
  155. Anthemis tricolor Boiss.
  156. Anthemis tricornis Eig
  157. Anthemis tripolitana Boiss. & C.I.Blanche
  158. Anthemis tubicina Boiss. & Hausskn.
  159. Anthemis ubensis Pomel
  160. Anthemis virescens Velen.
  161. Anthemis wallii Hub.-Mor. & Reese
  162. Anthemis werneri Stoj. & Acht.
  163. Anthemis wettsteiniana Hand.-Mazz.
  164. Anthemis xylopoda O.Schwarz
  165. Anthemis yemensis Podlech
  166. Anthemis zaianica Oberpr.
  167. Anthemis zoharyana Eig

The Allure of Anthemis

Why am I so drawn to Anthemis? It’s more than just their pretty faces. These plants have a rich history of human use. As I mentioned, chamomile tea, derived from Anthemis nobilis, has been a popular remedy for centuries, used to treat everything from anxiety and insomnia to digestive issues.

But the uses of Anthemis extend beyond the teacup. Some species, like Anthemis tinctoria, have been used to produce natural dyes, while others have played a role in traditional medicine and even culinary practices. This versatility is a testament to the adaptability and resilience of these plants.

Beyond their practical applications, I find Anthemis to be simply beautiful. Their cheerful blooms bring a touch of joy to any garden or landscape. They’re also relatively easy to cultivate, making them a popular choice for both novice and experienced gardeners.

Anthemis: A Continuing Fascination

My exploration of the Anthemis genus is far from over. I’m eager to learn more about the individual species, their unique properties, and their ecological roles. I’m also interested in delving deeper into the historical and cultural significance of these plants.

The world of Anthemis is a microcosm of the broader botanical world, a testament to the endless wonders that the plant kingdom has to offer. It’s a world of beauty, diversity, and utility, and I, for one, am excited to continue exploring it.

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