Today we are going to talk about a wild plant that has medicinal properties and is quite well known. It's about the Anthemis arvensis. Its common name is chamomile or bastard daisy and it is a well-known variety used for the treatment of numerous ailments. This plant should not be confused with common chamomile or chamomile, although it has certain similarities and uses. Therefore, we are going to dedicate the article to learn more about this plant.
If you want to learn more about the anthemis arvensis, this is your post.
Key features
It is an annual herbaceous plant which can measure up to 50 centimeters in height. The stems do not have any type of hair and are quite numerous. It has a reddish color in the basal region that turns green as they get closer to the extreme. The leaves are grayish green and alternate. They have almost no petioles. They are quite divided into various linear segments.
This plant does not have a proper flower. Botanists call this chapter. It is a collection of tiny flowers that form a single structure. This structure is what is called a chapter. The flowers of the external part of the chapter are of the ray type. That is, the flower of the composites with the petals of the corolla are welded in the shape of a reed. These flowers are white and unisexual.
Flowering takes place in spring, more reaching the final part when summer approaches and high temperatures. The fruit that it possesses is a type of smooth achene, with a quadrangular section, without vilane. The vilano is a set of hairs that are located at the end of the fruit of some composites.
Regarding the distribution area, we are at the anthemis arvensis multiregionally. In almost the entire territory of the Iberian Peninsula we can find it. The areas where they usually grow are the gutters, the edges of the roads and as the weeds in some cultivated lands. Although it is a plant that has quite useful medicinal properties, if it starts to grow as a weed in crops, they end up uprooting it and controlling its growth. Sometimes we can find it in the backyards of houses, on railways, in garbage dumps or even in vacant lots.
Medicinal properties of anthemis arvensis
It is, as we have mentioned before, a plant that is widely used by naturopathic medicine thanks to its many healing properties. It has both internal and external use, but we must bear in mind that they cannot be used very abundantly. If for example, we make an infusion with this plant, it is better not to load it too much, since it can cause vomiting in children. This is due to the high content of alpha-bisabolol that the plant has. This component can cause vomiting if ingested in large quantities.
For women it is used for the treatment of many problems related to the female reproductive system. For example, it serves to facilitate the flow of menstruation through certain properties called emmenagogues that also help combat the pain that accompanies the menstrual cycle. Thanks to the antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties, it makes having menstruation somewhat more bearable.
Bastard chamomile turns out to be a pretty good plant when it comes to treating and alleviating various symptoms that women have both in pre-menstruation and in menstruation itself. These symptoms that it helps to reduce are spasms, colic, dizziness, among other conditions that women usually suffer when they are on the days of the cycle. For the infusion to take effect and help with all the problems that we have mentioned, your thing is to ingest at least two or three cups of this infusion. It is also used in the manufacture of various feminine hygiene products such as intimate bath gels, sanitary napkins and tampons.
Uses of anthemis arvensis
One of the main uses of this plant is as eye drops. It is highly recommended to use it for its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties for the treatment of various eye conditions. For example, it is a good idea for the treatment of infections, conjunctivitis, red eyes, for those people who have bags under the eyes, myopia, tired eyes, etc.
Some of the components that we find and that are quite useful are caffeic acids, reducing aldose inhibitors, and others. These components and properties work quite well as a natural eye drop. To take advantage of these properties, it must be managed as follows:
- Cook for at least 15 minutes a tablespoon of Anthemis arvensis.
- Go through a tissue to remove the flowers from the infusion.
- We moisten with another tissue or apply a few drops in each eye.
- Apply these drops at least 2-3 times a day.
This plant is also used as a cosmetic. It has some interesting properties that are used for systematic beauty treatments. It can be used to make a shampoo that is used to eliminate itchy eyes, flaking and restore shine and silkiness to duller hair. There are some components of chamomile that help to lighten the hair and maintain the totally natural and spectacular tone of blonde hair. Thanks to its properties, it is not necessary to apply so many bleaches and harmful substances in the formulas of these dyes. Therefore, it is ideal when you want to maintain fairly intense golden tones but with a natural appearance and professional care.
There is a combination based on anthemis arvensis and honey that has very interesting properties. It helps to eliminate dandruff, excess oil in the hair, helps to hide gray hair, treats alopecia and other types of problems that occur on the scalp.
It is also used as a facial mask thanks to the fact that reduces inflammation, clarifies, nourishes and regenerates skin cells and, in turn, protects the skin.
As you can see, the anthemis arvensis it has numerous uses that are highly recommended for health. Take the opportunity to use it since a natural remedy will always be better than using chemical products.