Tanacetum parthenium

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Campanulids
Ordo: Asterales

Familia: Asteraceae
Subfamilia: Asteroideae
Tribus: Anthemideae
Subtribus: Anthemidinae
Genus: Tanacetum
Species: Tanacetum parthenium
Name

Tanacetum parthenium (L.) Sch.Bip., Tanaceteen: 55 (1844).
Synonyms

Basionym
Matricaria parthenium L., Sp. Pl. 2: 890. (1753).
Homotypic
Chamaemelum parthenium (L.) E.H.L.Krause in J.W.Sturm, Deutschl. Fl. 13: 205 (1905).
Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh., Syst. Verz. Erf.: 145 (1800).
Dendranthema parthenium (L.) Des Moul., Actes Soc. Linn. Bordeaux 20: 561 (1855).
Leucanthemum odoratum Dulac, Fl. Hautes-Pyrénées: 504 (1867), nom. superfl.
Leucanthemum parthenium (L.) Godr. & Gren., Fl. France Corse 2: 145 (1850).
Parthenium matricaria Gesn. ex Rupr., Fl. Ingrica: 583 (1856).
Pyrethrum parthenium (L.) Sm., Fl. Brit. 2: 900 (1800).
Heterotypic
Chrysanthemum parthenium var. discoideum Lej. in A.L.S.Lejeune & R.J.Courtois, Comp. Fl. Belg. 3: 148 (1836)
Leucanthemum parthenium var. flosculosum St.-Lag. in A.Cariot, Étude Fl., éd. 8, 2: 481 (1889).
Matricaria alba Voss, Vilm. Blumengärtn., ed. 3. 1: 509 (1894), pro syn.
Matricaria eximia Voss, Vilm. Blumengärtn., ed. 3. 1: 509 (1894), pro syn.
Matricaria florida Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 203 (1796).
Matricaria latifolia Gilib., Fl. Lit. Inch. 1: 220 (1782), opus utique oppr.
Matricaria odorata Lam., Fl. Franç. 2: 136 (1779).
Matricaria vulgaris Gray, Nat. Arr. Brit. Pl. 2: 454 (1821 publ. 1822).
Parthenium matricaria Gueldenst., Reis. Russland 2: 25 (1791), not validly publ.
Pontia matricaria Bubani, Fl. Pyren. 2: 220 (1899).
Pyrethrum eximium Voss, Vilm. Blumengärtn., ed. 3. 1: 509 (1894), pro syn.
Pyrethrum glanduliferum Sommier & Levier, Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n.s., 2: 87 (1895).
Pyrethrum grossheimii Sosn., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44(2): 243 (1927).
Pyrethrum partheniifolium aureum Jacob-Makoy, Nursery Cat. (L. Jacob-Makoy & Co.) 114: 84 (1870).
Pyrethrum parthenium eximium T.Moore, Proc. Roy. Hort. Soc. London 1: 322 (1860).
Pyrethrum parthenium var. multiplex N.H.F.Desp., Fl. Sarthe: 130 (1838).
Tanacetum glanduliferum (Sommier & Levier) K.Bremer & Humphries, Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. (London), Bot. 23: 102 (1993).
Tanacetum grossheimii (Sosn.) Muradyan, Biol. Zhurn. Armenii 23: 90 (1970).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Europe
Southeastern Europe
Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey-in-Europe, former Yugoslavia.
Asia-Temperate
Caucasus
Transcaucasus.
Western Asia
Afghanistan, East Aegean Islands, Iran, Iraq, Turkey.
Eastern Europe
Krym.
Asia-Tropical
Indian Subcontinent
Pakistan, West Himalaya.
Introduced into:
Alabama, Algeria, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Borneo, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, British Columbia, Canary Is., Cape Verde, Chatham Is., Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Corse, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Delaware, Denmark, Dominican Republic, East European Russia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Hainan, Honduras, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Maine, Malaya, Manchuria, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Morocco, Netherlands, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Newfoundland, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northern Territory, Norway, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Panamá, Paraguay, Pennsylvania, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qinghai, Queensland, Rhode I., Romania, Réunion, Sardegna, Sicilia, South Australia, South Carolina, South European Russi, Spain, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tasmania, Tibet, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vermont, Victoria, Washington, West Virginia, Western Australia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Xinjiang.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Schultz, C.H. "Bipontinus" 1844. Ueber die Tanaceteen: mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der deutschen Arten 55.

Additional references

Grierson, A.J.C. 1975. Tanacetum. Pp. 256-292 in Davis, P.H. (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Vol. 5 (Compositae). 890 pp., Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, ISBN 0-85224-280-8. Reference page.
Ghafoor, A. 2002. Flora of Pakistan 207: Asteraceae (I) - Anthemideae. 172 pp. Department of Botany, University of Karachi/Missouri Botanical Press, Karachi/St. Louis. Reference page.
Ghazanfar, S.A., Edmondson, J.R. & Hind, D.J.N. (eds.) 2019. Flora of Iraq. Volume Six. Compositae. viii + 458 pp., Royal Botanic Gardens Kew & Ministry of Agriculture & Agrarian Reform, Baghdad. ISBN 978-1-84246-685-8 Reference page.
Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.) 2012. Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul. ISBN 978-605-60425-7-7. Online edition. Reference page.
Litvinskaya, S.A. & Murtazaliev, R.A. 2013. Flora of the Northern Caucasus: An Atlas and Identification Book [in Russian]. 688 pp., Fiton XXI, Moscow. ISBN 978-5-906171-22-1 Reference page.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2023. Tanacetum parthenium in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2023 December 18. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2023. Tanacetum parthenium. Published online. Accessed: December 18 2023. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2023. World Plants. Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. . Tanacetum parthenium. Accessed: 18 December 2023.
Hassler, M. 2023. Tanacetum parthenium. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2023. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2023 December 18. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Tanacetum parthenium in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names
Deutsch: Mutterkraut
English: Feverfew
eesti: Lõhnav neitsikummel
suomi: Reunuspietaryrtti, reunuspäivänkakkara
français: Grande camomille
հայերեն: Լվածաղիկ կուսատերև
italiano: Partenio
Nederlands: Moederkruid
svenska: Mattram
Türkçe: Gümüşdüğme
vèneto: Maresina

Tanacetum parthenium, known as feverfew,[1] is a flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. It may be grown as an ornament, and may be identified by its synonyms, Chrysanthemum parthenium and Pyrethrum parthenium. It is used in traditional medicine.
Description

The plant is a herbaceous perennial that grows into a small bush,[2] up to 70 cm (28 in) high, with pungently-scented leaves. The leaves are light yellowish green, variously pinnatifid. The conspicuous daisy-like flowers are up to 20 millimetres (3⁄4 in) across, borne in lax corymbs. The outer, ray florets have white ligules and the inner, disc florets are yellow and tubular. It spreads rapidly by seed, and will cover a wide area after a few years.[3][4] The plant produces achene fruit, and grows in stony slopes and river beds.[5]
Location and cultivation

Feverfew is native to Eurasia, specifically the Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, and the Caucasus, but cultivation has spread it around the world and the rest of Europe, North America, and Chile.[2][6]

A perennial herb, it should be planted in full sun, 38 to 46 cm (15–18 in) apart, and cut back to the ground in the autumn. It grows up to 70 cm (28 in) tall. It is hardy to USDA zone 5 (−30 °C or −22 °F). Outside of its native range, it may become an invasive weed.[7]
Uses
Leaf of feverfew
The chemical structure of parthenolide
Phytochemicals and traditional medicine

Feverfew contains parthenolide, which is under basic research to assess its possible properties.[8] Other phytochemicals include camphor, parthenolide, luteolin, and apigenin.[9] Camphor has aromatic properties, while luteolin and apigenin are flavonoids.[9]

In traditional medicine, feverfew has been used to treat headache, but there is no confirmed scientific evidence that it has any effect.[2][10][8]

Feverfew is registered as a traditional herbal medicine in the Nordic countries under the brand name Glitinum. Only powdered feverfew is approved in the European Union herbal monograph.[11]
Dietary supplement

The parthenolide content of commercially available feverfew supplements varies substantially (by more than 40-fold) despite labeling claims of "standardization".[12]
Adverse effects

Long-term use of feverfew followed by abrupt discontinuation may induce a withdrawal syndrome featuring rebound headaches and muscle and joint pains.[8] Feverfew may cause allergic reactions in those allergic to the daisy family, including contact dermatitis or swelling and numbness of the mouth.[8] Other side effects have included gastrointestinal upset such as mild nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence, which are, fortunately mild and transient.[8] When the herb is chewed or taken orally it may cause mouth ulcers.[8] Feverfew should not be taken by pregnant women.[8] It may interact with blood thinners and increase the risk of bleeding, and also may interact with a variety of medications metabolized by the liver.[8]
History and etymology

The word feverfew derives from the Latin word febrifugia, meaning 'fever reducer',[13] although it no longer is considered useful for that purpose.

Although its earliest medicinal use is unknown, it was documented in the 1st century CE as an anti-inflammatory by the Greek herbalist physician Dioscorides.[14]
References

NRCS. "Tanacetum parthenium". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 8 December 2015.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, US National Institutes of Health. "Feverfew". Retrieved 1 December 2020.
Parnell, J. and Curtis. 2012. Webb's An Irish Flora. Cork University Press. ISBN 978-185918-4783
Clapham, A.R, Tutin, T.G. and Warburg, E.F. 1968. Excursion Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-04656-4
Izadi Z, Esna-Ashari M, Piri K, Davoodi P (2010). "Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) Essential Oil". International Journal of Agriculture & Biology: 459–463 – via CABI Digital Library.
Jeffrey C (2001). "Tanacetum parthenium". Mansfeld's World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops.
Hadjikyriakou G, Hadjisterkotis E (2002). "The adventive plants of Cyprus with new records of invasive species". Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft. 48 (S1). Springer Science and Business Media: 59–71. doi:10.1007/bf02192393. ISSN 0044-2887. S2CID 42896188.
"Feverfew". Drugs.com. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
Wu C, Chen F, Wang X, Kim HJ, He Gq, Haley-Zitlin V, Huang G (May 2006). "Antioxidant constituents in feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) extract and their chromatographic quantification". Food Chemistry. 96 (2): 220–227. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.02.024.
Pittler MH, Ernst E (2004). Pittler MH (ed.). "Feverfew for preventing migraine". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (1): CD002286. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002286.pub2. PMID 14973986.
"Tanaceti parthenii herba". European Medicines Agency. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
Draves AH, Walker SE (2004). "Parthenolide content of Canadian commercial feverfew preparations: Label claims are misleading in most cases" (PDF). Canadian Pharmacists Journal. 136 (10): 23–30. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-20.
"Feverfew". University of Maryland. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
"Agricultural (Herbs and Spices): Feverfew Information". Government of Saskatchewan. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.