Anthemis


Anthemis is a genus of aromatic flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, closely related to Chamaemelum, and like that genus, known by the common name chamomile; some species are also called dog-fennel or mayweed. Anthemis are native to the Mediterranean region and southwest Asia east to Iran. A number of species have also become naturalized in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world.
Anthemis species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Orthonama obstipata and Bucculatrix anthemidella, a leaf-miner which feeds exclusively on Anthemis tinctoria.

Cultivation and uses

Several species and cultivars are available for garden use. A. punctata subsp. cupaniana and Anthemis tinctoria 'E.C. Buxton' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Species