Corn Chamomile

Corn Chamomile
Corn Chamomile. Anthemis arvensis.
Asteraceae, the daisy, sunflower or composite family.

Description:
Plant: Often low, somewhat woolly-hairy plant 6"-2' high with highly dissected leaves and daisy-like white flowers. Annual or biennial.
Flowers: White, daisy-like heads with yellow centers, to about 1", solitary, on long stems that exceed the foliage.
Leaves: Alternate, highly dissected, usually twice pinnately divided, 1"-2" long. The foliage is mildly scented, in contrast to the similar A. cotula (Stinking Chamomile).
Fruit: A head of dry, seedlike achenes.
Blooming: June - killing frost.
Habitat: Waste places, roadsides.

Comments: Introduced from Eurasia, this plant is very similar to Stinking Chamomile (A. cotula); it is distinguished by lack of a strong unpleasant smell, and by the woolly-hairy stems. It is closely related to the plant from which chamomile tea is usually made (Matricaria recutita), and the dried flowers can similarly be used.

Where to find it: Not particularly common in the park; most often found in the area adjacent to the Islamic center.