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''Calendula'' () is a genus of about 15–20 species''Calendula''.
Flora of China.
of annual and perennial
herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of t ...
plants in the daisy family Asteraceae that are often known as marigolds. They are
native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...
to southwestern Asia, western Europe, Macaronesia, and the Mediterranean. (Other plants also known as marigolds, are
corn marigold ''Glebionis segetum'' (syn. ''Chrysanthemum segetum'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, probably native only to the eastern Mediterranean region but now naturalized in western and northern Europe as well as China and par ...
, desert marigold, marsh marigold, and plants of the genus '' Tagetes''). The genus name ''Calendula'' is a modern Latin diminutive of ''calendae'', meaning "little calendar", "little clock" or possibly "little weather-glass". The common name "marigold" refers to the Virgin Mary. The most commonly cultivated and used member of the genus is '' Calendula officinalis'', the pot marigold. Popular herbal and cosmetic products named "Calendula" invariably derive from ''C.officinalis''.


Uses


History

''Calendula'' was not a major medicinal herb but it was used in historic times for headaches, red eye, fever and toothaches. As late as the 17th century Nicholas Culpeper claimed ''Calendula'' benefited the heart, but it was not considered an especially efficacious medicine.Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs
/ref> In historic times ''Calendula'' was more often used for magical purposes than medicinal ones. One 16th-century potion containing ''Calendula'' claimed to reveal
fairies A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...
. An unmarried woman with two suitors would take a blend of powdered ''Calendula'', marjoram,
wormwood Wormwood may refer to: Biology * Several plants of the genus ''Artemisia'': ** ''Artemisia abrotanum'', southern wormwood ** '' Artemisia absinthium'', common wormwood, grande wormwood or absinthe wormwood ** ''Artemisia annua'', sweet wormwood o ...
and thyme simmered in honey and white wine used as an ointment in a ritual to reveal her true match. Ancient Romans and Greeks used the golden ''Calendula'' in many rituals and ceremonies, sometimes wearing crowns or garlands made from the flowers. One of its nicknames is "Mary's Gold", referring to the flowers' use in early Christian events in some countries. ''Calendula'' flowers are sacred flowers in India and have been used to decorate the statues of Hindu deities since early times. However, the most common use in historic times was culinary, and the plant was used for both its color and its flavor. They were used for dumplings, wine,
oatmeal Oatmeal is a preparation of oats that have been de-husked, steamed, and flattened, or a coarse flour of hulled oat grains (groats) that have either been milled (ground) or steel-cut. Ground oats are also called white oats. Steel-cut oats are ...
and puddings. In English cuisine ''Calendula'' were often cooked in the same pot with spinach, or used to flavor stewed birds. According to sixteenth-century Englishman John Gerard, every proper soup of Dutch cuisine in his era would include ''Calendula'' petals.


Culinary

Also known as "poor man's saffron," the petals are edible and can be used fresh in salads or dried and used to color cheese or as a substitute for saffron.Spotlight on Marigold.
The Complete Herbal - Herbs and Herbal Remedies.
Calendulas have a mildly sweet taste that is slightly bitter, and as it dries these flavors become more intense. It can be used to add color to soups, stews, poultry dishes,
custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in consistency fro ...
s and liquors. The common name for ''Calendula officinalis'' in Britain is 'pot-marigold,' named so because of its use in broths and soups.


Dyes

Dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution an ...
can be extracted from the flower and produce shades of honey, gold oranges, light browns, and vibrant yellows.


Chemistry

The flowers of ''C. officinalis'' contain flavonol glycosides, triterpene oligoglycosides, oleanane-type triterpene glycosides,
saponins Saponins (Latin "sapon", soap + "-in", one of), also selectively referred to as triterpene glycosides, are bitter-tasting usually toxic plant-derived organic chemicals that have a foamy quality when agitated in water. They are widely distributed ...
, and a sesquiterpene
glucoside A glucoside is a glycoside that is derived from glucose. Glucosides are common in plants, but rare in animals. Glucose is produced when a glucoside is hydrolysed by purely chemical means, or decomposed by fermentation or enzymes. The name was o ...
.


Pharmacological effects

''Calendula officinalis'' oil is still used medicinally as an anti-inflammatory and a remedy for healing wounds.Okoh, O. O., et al. (2008)
The effects of drying on the chemical components of essential oils of ''Calendula officinalis'' L.
''African Journal of Biotechnology'' 7(10) 1500-02.
''Calendula'' ointments are skin products available for use on minor cuts, burns, and skin irritation;Calendula ointment
entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
however, evidence of their effectiveness is weak. Plant pharmacological studies have suggested that ''Calendula'' extracts have antiviral, anti genotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties '' in vitro''.Jimenez-Medina, E., et al. (2006). A new extract of the plant ''Calendula officinalis'' produces a dual in vitro effect: cytotoxic anti-tumor activity and lymphocyte activation. ''BMC Cancer''. 6:6. In herbalism, ''Calendula'' in suspension or in tincture is used topically for treating acne, reducing inflammation, controlling bleeding, and soothing irritated tissue.Pommier, P., et al. (2004)
Phase III randomized trial of ''Calendula officinalis'' compared with trolamine for the prevention of acute dermatitis during irradiation for breast cancer.
''J Clin Oncol.'' 22(8) 1447-53.
Limited evidence indicates ''Calendula'' cream or ointment is effective in treating
radiation dermatitis A radiation burn is a damage to the skin or other biological tissue and organs as an effect of radiation. The radiation types of greatest concern are thermal radiation, radio frequency energy, ultraviolet light and ionizing radiation. The most ...
. Topical application of ''C. officinalis'' ointment has helped to prevent dermatitis and pain; thus reducing the incidence rate of skipped radiation treatments in
randomized trial In science, randomized experiments are the experiments that allow the greatest reliability and validity of statistical estimates of treatment effects. Randomization-based inference is especially important in experimental design and in survey sampl ...
s. ''Calendula'' has been used traditionally for abdominal cramps and constipation.Bashir S, Janbaz KH, Jabeen Q et al. (2006). Studies on spasmogenic and spasmolytic activities of ''Calendula officinalis'' flowers. ''Phytother Res''. 20:906-910. In experiments with rabbit jejunum, the aqueous-ethanol extract of ''C. officinalis'' flowers was shown to have both spasmolytic and spasmogenic effects, thus providing a scientific rationale for this traditional use. An aqueous extract of ''C. officinalis'' obtained by a novel extraction method has demonstrated antitumor (cytotoxic) activity and immunomodulatory properties (lymphocyte activation) ''in vitro'', as well as antitumor activity in mice. ''Calendula'' plants are known to cause allergic reactions, and should be avoided during pregnancy.


Diversity

Species include: *'' Calendula arvensis'' (Vaill.) L. – field marigold, wild marigold *'' Calendula denticulata'' Schousb. ex Willd. *''
Calendula eckerleinii ''Calendula'' () is a genus of about 15–20 species''Calendula''.
Flora of China.
'' Ohle *'' Calendula incana'' Willd. **''Calendula incana'' subsp. ''algarbiensis'' (Boiss.) Ohle **''Calendula incana'' subsp. ''maderensis'' (DC.) Ohle – Madeiran marigold ** ''Calendula incana'' subsp. ''maritima'' (Guss.) Ohle – sea marigold **''Calendula incana'' subsp. ''microphylla'' (Lange) Ohle *''
Calendula lanzae ''Calendula'' () is a genus of about 15–20 species''Calendula''.
Flora of China.
'' Maire *''
Calendula maritima ''Calendula maritima'', known as the sea marigold and trailing calendula, is a very rare species from the family of Asteraceae. Some scientists regarded it as ''Calendula suffruticosa'' subspecies ''maritima''. This halophytic plant is endemic t ...
'' Guss. - sea marigold *''
Calendula maroccana ''Calendula'' () is a genus of about 15–20 species''Calendula''.
Flora of China.
'' (Ball) Ball **''Calendula maroccana'' subsp. ''maroccana'' **''Calendula maroccana'' subsp. ''murbeckii'' (Lanza) Ohle *'' Calendula meuselii'' Ohle *'' Calendula officinalis'' L. – pot marigold, garden marigold, ruddles, Scottish marigold *''
Calendula palaestina ''Calendula palaestina'', the Palestine marigold, is a species of annual flowering plant in the marigold genus ''Calendula ''Calendula'' () is a genus of about 15–20 speciesCalendula stellata'' Cav. *'' Calendula suffruticosa'' Vahl **''Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''balansae'' (Boiss. & Reut.) Ohle **''Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''boissieri'' Lanza **''Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''fulgida'' (Raf.) Guadagno **''Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''lusitanica'' (Boiss.) Ohle ** ''Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''maritima'' (Guss.) Meikle **''Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''monardii'' (Boiss. & Reut.) Ohle **''Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''tomentosa'' Murb. *''
Calendula tripterocarpa ''Calendula tripterocarpa'' is a species of flowering plant in the marigold genus ''Calendula'', family Asteraceae. It is native to Spain, the Canary Islands, North Africa, and the Middle East as far as Iran. It is a therophyte. References

...
'' Rupr.


Gallery

Image:Flower 2007-3.jpg, '' Calendula arvensis'' File:Calendula suffruticosa 0037.jpg, '' Calendula suffruticosa'' subsp. ''fulgida'' Image:Illustration Calendula officinalis0.jpg, ''Calendula officinalis'' from ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'', by Thomé, 1885 Image:Calendula officinalis and sky.jpg, ''Calendula officinalis'' File:Calendula maritima 0030.jpg, The endangered ''
Calendula maritima ''Calendula maritima'', known as the sea marigold and trailing calendula, is a very rare species from the family of Asteraceae. Some scientists regarded it as ''Calendula suffruticosa'' subspecies ''maritima''. This halophytic plant is endemic t ...
'' File:Calendulaarvensis.jpg, ''Calendula arvensis'' seeds Calendula Field Marigold Calendula arvensis.jpg, '' Calendula arvensis'' in full bloom


References


External links


Flora Europaea: ''Calendula''Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Calendula''
{{Authority control Asteraceae genera Garden plants Medicinal plants