Chrysanthemum
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Chrysanthemum
COMMON NAME(S): Chrysanthemum, Crown daisy, Corn marigold
SYNONYM(S):
FAMILY: ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE) - Sunflower family
ORIGIN: Europe, North Africa, 5 spp. (narrow conception of genus); about 200 spp. (broad definition of genus)
HABITAT: Cultivated landscapes
RANGE:
TYPE:
HEIGHT: Variable
CHARACTERISTICS:
LEAVES: Alternate, entire, lobed or dissected and feather-like
FLOWERS: Individually small but arranged in showy, daisy-like heads
FLOWERING SEASON: Spring, summer, fall
FRUITS: Dry, 1-seeded, inconspicuous
ALLERGENIC PRINCIPLES: Sesquiterpene lactones
ALLERGENIC PROPERTIES: Dermatological
COMMENTS: A number of the 200 species have been implicated as causes of contact dermatitis. C. cineraiifolium (Trev.) Vis. and a few other species yield the insecticide pyrethrum. The florist's chrysanthemum referred to the genus Dendrathema (see listing under that name) but has now been returned to Chrysanthemum. Recent taxonomic changes place all but about 5 species of Chrysanthemum into the genera listed as synonyms here. In the interest of simplicity, the broad view of the genus is used in this book. In some more current references, species may be listed under these other generic names.
