Chryanthemum
(Chrysanthemum indicum)
Interesting Information About Plant:
Brought into cultivation before 1000 BC, adopted as the national flower of Japan in 910, this plant has always been known as ‘yellow flower’ – krysantemum in Scandinavian languages, chrysantemo in Portuguese,
Spanish and Italian, chrysanthème in French, and, in English, German and Dutch – Chrysanthemum. Then, suddenly in 1961, its name was changed to Dendranthema.
Chrysanthemums were brought to Europe in the late 1600’s and soon caught the attention of Carl Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist who developed the scientific system of naming plants. He thought the flower of this Asian plant was similar to a corn marigold, a small wildflower of Southern Europe. Because the scientific name of this wildflower is Chrysanthemum coronarium, our garden mum was also called Chrysanthemum. It was given a different, specific name and became Chrysanthemum indicum. Other plants, too, were similar to this European wildflower. Feverfew
was named Chrysanthemum parthenium, tansy became Chrysanthemum vulgare and Shasta daisy was called Chrysanthemum x superbum. Among these plants, the corn marigold was considered to be the epitome of Chrysanthemum-ness, the standard to which all others were compared. In the 250 years since the garden mum became Chrysanthemum indicum, our knowledge of plant structure and relationships has grown considerably. In 1961 Russian botanist Nickolae Tzvelev took another look at corn marigold, mums, Shasta daisies and others and decided they weren’t quite as similar as once thought. Many of the Chrysanthemums were given different names. Because the corn marigold from Europe was the original Chrysanthemum, it retained that name. Shasta daisy became Leucanthemum x superbum, feverfew became Tanacetum parthenium and our popular garden mum became Dendranthema x grandiflorum.
Only the Dutch, adopted the new name. Their publications increasingly referred to the mum as Dendranthema; everyone else still called it Chrysanthemum. Clearly, such a situation could lead to confusion, if not downright hostility. In 1995 a formal proposal was made to the International Botanical Congress, the ruling body that determines scientific plant names. If the plant which defines the essence of Chrysanthemum-ness could be changed from the corn marigold to the garden chrysanthemum, everyone would be satisfied and we could go back to calling a chrysanthemum a Chrysanthemum. The International Botanical Congress did indeed rule that the garden mum should return to its original name – Chrysanthemum. In a few years, we hope, no one will even remember that the lovely Chrysanthemum lost its name - and then got it back again.
Medicinal Uses:
Relief for Migraine headaches
excellent for eye problems, helping the heart rhythm, antiseptic, skin
Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum indicum
Family Name (Scientific and Common): Asteraceae
Continent of Origin: Asia
Plant Growth Habit: Upright
Height at Maturity: Between 1- 3 Feet
Life Span: Perennial
Seasonal Habit: Herbaceous That Dies Back In The Winter
Growth Habitat: Partial Sun
Manner of Culture: Garden (flower)
Thorns on Younger Stem: No
Cross Section of Younger Stem: Roundish
Stem (or Trunk) Diameter: Between The Diameter of a Pencil and a Broom-Handle
Produces Brownish Bark: Yes
Bark Peeling in Many Areas: No
Characteristics of Mature (Brownish) Bark: No Mature Bark (all green)
Type of Leaf: Flat, Thin Leaf
Length of Leaf (or Leaflet): Less than Length of a Credit
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Edge of Leaf: Serrated
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf has Petiole: No
Patterns of Main-Veins on Leaf (or Leaflet): Palmate
Leaf Hairiness: No Hairs
Color of Foliage in Summer: Green
Change in Color of Foliage in October: No Change
Flowering Season: Tightly Clustered
Type of Flower: Colorful Flower
Color of Flower: Multicolored
Shape of Individual Flower: Radially Symmetrical
Size of Individual Flower: Smaller than a Quarter
Sexuality: Male and Female on Same Plant
Size of Fruit: Smaller than a Quarter
Fruit Fleshiness: Dry
Shape of Fruit: Spherical
Color of Fruit at Maturity: Brown or Dry
Fruit Desirable to Birds or Squirrels: No
Common Name(s): Chrysanthemum
Louisville Plants That Are Most Easily Confused With This One: none
Unique Morphological Features of Plant: bred to have 21 different colors
Poisonous: Part of Plant
Pestiness (weedy, hard to control): No
Page prepared by:
Ted Miles
November 2004 |
