TANACETUM VULGARE

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE

Common Names:- Tansy.

Homotypic synonyms:- None.

Meaning:- Tanacetum. From the medieval Latin name tanacetum, traditionally applied to tansy and related plants.
                  Vulgare. Latin, “common”.

General description:- A strongly aromatic rhizomatous perennial with deeply pinnatifid leaves and dense flat-topped clusters of yellow button-like discoid capitula. Native in Great Britain.

Stems:-
1) Usually 50-120 cm high, erect, stout, leafy, often branched above and arising from
    spreading rhizomes.

Leaves:-
1) Alternate, oblong to elliptic in outline, pinnatifid to pinnatisect and strongly
    aromatic.
    a) Segments, numerous, lanceolate and sharply serrate, giving the leaf a fern-like
        appearance.
2) Upper, sessile or nearly so and progressively smaller upwards.

Flowers:-
1) Capitula, numerous, yellow, discoid and button-like, arranged in dense flat-topped
    terminal corymbs.
2) Ray florets, absent.
3) Disc florets, tubular, yellow, with marginal female florets and central bisexual
    florets.
4) Phyllaries, imbricate, green with scarious margins.
5) Receptacle, without paleae.
6) Stamens, 5 in bisexual florets, with anthers united into a tube.
7) Ovary, inferior, unilocular, with a single ovule.

Fruit:-
1) Cypsela, small, oblong and longitudinally ribbed.
2) Pappus, reduced to a short crown.

Distinguishing features:-
Readily distinguished by its strongly aromatic fern-like leaves and dense flat-topped clusters of yellow button-like capitula completely lacking ray florets.

Flowering time:- July to October.

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Toxicity:- Contains biologically active constituents including thujone; ingestion of substantial amounts or concentrated preparations can be toxic. Medicinal self-use is not recommended.

Habitat:- Road verges, railway banks, hedge banks, river margins, rough grassland and waste ground, especially on moderately nutrient-rich soils.

Distribution:- Native and widespread in Great Britain, becoming less frequent in northern Scotland. Introduced in Ireland. Its wider native range extends across temperate Eurasia.

Conservation status:- Least Concern (LC) in Great Britain.

Photo by:- Steve Lenton