Feverfew - Tanacetum parthenium

Family: Asteraceae (Aster family) ^[E-flora]

Identification

"Tanacetum parthenium is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in) at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone (UK) 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to August, and the seeds ripen from Aug to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, self.The plant is self-fertile.^{" [PFAF]}
"Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure."^[PFAF]

• "General: Perennial herb from a taproot or woody stem-base; stems erect, simple or several, branched, glabrous below, fine-hairy above, 30-80 cm tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Leaves: Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves egg-shaped to oblong in outline, alternate, stalked, 1-2 times pinnately cut, 4-10 cm long, 1-6 cm wide, coarsely rounded or pointed at the tips, finely hairy, at least beneath."^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Flowers: Heads with ray and disk flowers, several, terminal on the branches in a short, flat- to round-topped inflorescence; involucres 2-3 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate, in 2-3 series, keeled, leathery, sparsely hairy with a narrow translucent margin; ray flowers white, mostly 15-30, 1-2 cm long; disk flowers yellow, 2-3 mm long, somewhat glandular below.^{"[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Fruits: Achenes squared off at the top, cylindric or nearly so, 8- to 10-nerved; pappus lacking or a minute crown." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Habitat / Range

• "Mesic to dry roadsides, disturbed areas and gardens in the lowland and montane zones; frequent in SW BC, rare in E BC; introduced from Europe." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
  
• "Mountain scrub, rocky slopes, walls, waste places and a weed of gardens, avoiding acid soils[9]. S.E. Europe to Asia. Naturalized in Britain[17].^{" [PFAF]}
  

Origin Status: Exotic ^[E-flora]

Hazards

• "Do not use during pregnancy or with coagulation problems. Oral ulcers (aphothous ulcers in 5-15%) and/or gastrointestinal disturbances. Discontinuation may lead to rebound headaches, anxiety and insomnia [301]."^[PFAF]
  
• "Case reports suggest that the abrupt cessation of feverfew use for migraine prophylaxis causes the exacerbation of migraine symptoms. 7 Other symptoms associated with withdrawal include muscle stiffness, insomnia, arthralgias, and anxiety." ^[TNS]
  
• Allergen
• "The adverse effects associated with the administration of feverfew during clinical trials are typically mild and transient. The most common adverse effect following the use of herbal preparations of feverfew leaves are oral ulceration and inflammation. 25 Feverfew is one of the major weed pollens along with ragweed (Ambrosia spp.), sunflower (Helianthus spp.), and mugwort (Artemisia spp.). 26" ^[TNS]
  
• "The rash associated with allergic reactions to feverfew is a diffuse, erythematous, and occasionally lichenified lesion with a photodermatitis - like distribution. 30 However, this rash involves the upper eyelids, submental area, and retroauricular regions of the face in contrast to true photodermatitis. Sensitization to the sesquiterpene lactones of feverfew does not necessarily imply sensitization to the associated volatile monoterpene compounds in feverfew. [31]" ^[TNS]

• Hazards
  • "Oral feverfew may cause mouth ulcers in ca. 10% of patients. Should not be taken by pregnant women because the leaves have emmenagogue activity (LRNP, June 1990). No serious side effects have been noticed in those taking feverfew over years as a preventive. Side effects: ulcerations of the mouth, sore tongue, inflammation of the oral mucosa and tongue, swelling of the lips, unpleasant taste, loss of taste, urinary problems, headache, diarrhea, dry mouth, dusgeusia, gas, glossosis, hypersensitivity, nausea, stomatosis, and vomiting (most were apparent only in the first week) reported by those using feverfew. Cases of allergic contact dermatosis in humans have also been reported (AEH). Cases of contact dermatosis are rare. Mild tranquilizing and sedative effects have been reported. Chewing the leaves for extended periods may lead to abdominal pains and dyspepsia. Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are aromatic compounds widely distributed in certain plant families, with highest concentrations generally found in leaves and flowers. Sheep and cattle poisonings due to SLcontaining species have been reported. SLs are allergenic and may cause dermatosis (CAN). Because it is reputed to be abortifacient and to affect the menstrual cycle, its use in pregnancy and lactation is to be avoided. “Self-medication with feverfew should not be undertaken without first consulting a doctor” (CAN). “Should not be used by children under the age of two years” (SKY). Do not use with calcium channel blockers, ticlopadine, or coumadin (O’Brien, 1998)." ^{[HMH Duke]}
  • Allergen: "high potential for sensitization via skin contact" ^[PDR]
  • Contraindications: "The herb is not to be used during pregnancy or during breastfeeding." ^[PDR] "Should not be taken by pregnant women because the leaves have emmenagogue activity." ^{[HMH Duke]}
  • Potential Irritant: "Gastrointestinal irritation and abdominal pain or heartburn have been reported." ^[PDR] "may cause mouth ulcers in ca. 10% of patients." ^{[HMH Duke]}
• Food Uses
  • Spice: "The plant is used in cooking to impart a deliciously aromatic bitter taste to certain foods[7]." ^[PFAF-2]
  • Flowers: "The dried flowers are used as a flavouring in cooking certain pastries[177, 183]. A tea is made from the dried flowers[183]." ^[PFAF-2]
• Other Uses
  • Insecticide: "The dried flower buds are a source of an insecticide. They are said to have the same properties as pyrethrum (obtained mainly from T. cinerariifolia)[61, 100, 201]. Steep 1 cupful of the dried flowers in one litre of hot soapy water for an hour. Strain, then allow to cool slightly before use[201]." ^[PFAF-2]
  • Perfume: "An essential oil from the plant is used in perfumery[7]."^[PFAF-2]
  • Veterinary: In Cambridgeshire, the way to control unruly horses was to rub the freshly gathered leaves on their noses. Suffolk horsemen used it for colds, and for giving their horses an appetite.^{[DPL Watts]}
• Medicinal Uses
  • Leaves & Flowering Heads: "The leaves and flowering heads are anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, aperient, bitter, carminative, emmenagogue, sedative, stimulant, stings, stomachic, vasodilator and vermifuge[4, 7, 21, 36, 46, 53, 100, 165]." ^[PFAF]
  • Plant: "The plant is gathered as it comes into flower and can be dried for later use[7]. Use with caution[165], the fresh leaves can cause dermatitis and mouth ulcers if consumed[238]. This remedy should not be prescribed for pregnant women[238]." ^[PFAF] The medicinal parts are the leaves cut before full flowering. ^[PDR]
    • Tea: "A tea made from the whole plant is used in the treatment of arthritis, colds, fevers etc. It is said to be sedative and to regulate menses[222, 238]."^[PFAF]
    • Externally: "An infusion is used to bathe swollen feet[257]. Applied externally as a tincture, the plant is used in the treatment of bruises etc[7]."^[PFAF]
    • Migraine: "Chewing 1 - 4 leaves per day has proven to be effective in the treatment of some migraine headaches[222]."^[PFAF]

"Feverfew has gained a good reputation as a medicinal herb and extensive research since 1970 has proved it to be of special benefit in the treatment of certain types of migraine headaches and rheumatism[238, K]. It is also thought of as a herb for treating arthritis and rheumatism[254]." ^[PFAF] "Feverfew is used mainly for migraine, arthritis, rheumatic diseases and allergies." [PDR] "It has been used in cold infusion as a general tonic, and a cold infusion of the flowers as a sedative. Perhaps it is best known in country medicine as a painkiller. Evidently, all that had to be done was to boil the plant in water, and drink the resulting liquid." ^{[DPL Watts]} "The herb is also used as a wash for inflammation and wounds, as a tranquilizer, an antiseptic, and following tooth extraction as a mouthwash. The infusion is used for dysmenorrhea."^[PDR]

Preparation: "To make an infusion, use 2 teaspoonfuls of the drug per cup, allow to draw for 15 minutes. To make a strong infusion, double the amount and allow to draw for 25 minutes."^[PDR]

EFFECTS
"Sesquiterpene lactones, especially parthenolide, are the active compounds in Feverfew (Groenewegen, 1986; Sumner, 1992). Parthenolide, although a key determinant of biological activity for Tanacetum parthenium leaf extracts, is not the sole pharmacologically active constituent (Brown, 1997). Other sespuiterpene lactones such as 3-beta-hydroxyparthenolide, secotanapartholide A, canin and artecanin, contain an alpha-methylene butyrolactone unit responsible for anti-secretory (anti-inflammatory) activity (Groenewegen, 1986). Physiochemical methods were used to measure partholide in several purported commercial Feverfew products. The results found a wide variation in partholide content and in some products, partholide was not detected (Heptinstall, 1992)."[PDR]

"Major flavonol and flavone methyl ethers (tanetin) of the herb inhibit the major pathways of arachidonate metabolism in leukocytes (Williams, 1999)."[PDR]

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

"Unproven Uses: In folk medicine, Feverfew is used for cramps, as a tonic, a stimulant, a digestive agent and a blood purifier. Other uses in folk medicine include migraine prophylaxis, digestion problems, intestinal parasites and gynecological disorders. The herb is also used as a wash for inflammation and wounds, as a tranquilizer, an antiseptic, and following tooth extraction as a mouthwash. The infusion is used for dysmenorrhea. In post-natal care, Feverfew is used to reduce lochia. The drug is used externally as an antiseptic and insecticide." [PDR]

DOSAGE
"Mode of Administration: Feverfew preparations are used both internally and externally." [PDR]

"Tablets — 12mg (standardized to 600 meg sesuiterpine lactone content)
Preparation: To make an infusion, use 2 teaspoonfuls of the drug per cup, allow to draw for 1 5 minutes. To make a strong infusion, double the amount and allow to draw for 25 minutes.
Daily Dosage:
Capsules — 200 to 25 0 mg daily for the treatment of migraines; the usual standardization level is 0.2% parthenolide content (Brown, 1996). Freshly dried powdered Feverfew of 25 mg is approximately equal to 0.1 mg of sesquiterpine lactones (SL) (Mervyn,1986).
Fresh leaf — 1 to 3 leaves (25 to 75 mg) once or twice daily has been recommended (Johnson et al, 1985; O'Hara, 1998).
Unproven uses — 3 cups of the infusion are taken per day. The stronger infusions are used for washes.
Storage: Store the herb in sealed containers." [PDR]

"600 µg parthenolide 1–3 ×/day (AKT); 250 µg parthenolide (APA); 2–3 leaves chewed daily with or without food (APA; CAN); 50 mg freeze-dried leaf daily with or without food (CAN); 0.25–0.5 tsp fresh leaf (PED); 0.2–0.4 g dry leaf (PED); 0.3 g dry leaf:2 ml alcohol/1 ml water (PED); 4–8 ml liquid leaf extract (APA; PNC); 50–200 mg dried shoots daily (CAN); 2 (380 mg) capsules 3 ×/day (NH). DANGEROUS ERROR ->250 mg parthenolide/day [should have said 250 µg] (SKY)." ^{[HMH Duke]}

Lore

• "Perhaps it is best known in country medicine as a painkiller. Evidently, all that had to be done was to boil the plant in water, and drink the resulting liquid...." ^{[DPL Watts]}
• "It has been used in cold infusion as a general tonic, and a cold infusion of the flowers as a sedative (Brownlow)." ^{[DPL Watts]}
• "It is certainly effective in curing a headache, even migraine, it seems (V G Hatfield), and apparently, it was said, warm, on the ear for earache, according to a Suffolk record (Kightly. 1984)." ^{[DPL Watts]}
• "But the dried flowers have been used in home remedies in Europe to induce abortion (Lewis & Elvin-Lewis)." ^{[DPL Watts]}
  
• "In Cambridgeshire, the way to control unruly horses was to rub the freshly gathered leaves (or those of rue) on their noses (Porter. 1969), while Suffolk horsemen used it for colds, and for giving their horses an appetite (G E Evans. 1960)." ^{[DPL Watts]}

Activities

Pytochemistry:

• "vulgarone B has only once been reported (in Tanacetum vulgare L.; Uchio 1978) and was now shown to be a potent repeller of slugs."[Bajaj MAPS 7]
• "Volatile oil (0.75%): chief constituents are L-camphor, transchrysanthyl acetate, including, camphene, p-cymene, gamma-terpinene, D-germacrene, linalool, borneol, terpinenes-4-ol" ^[PDR]
  
• "Sesquiterpene lactones: especially parthenolide, and also 3- beta-hydroxy-parthenolide, costunolid, reynosin, 8-beta-hydroxy-reynosin, tanaparthin-alpha-peroxide, canin, artecanin, secotanapartholide A" ^[PDR]
  
• "Flavonoids: including apigenin-7-0-glucuronide, chrysoeriol-7-0-glucuronide, luteolin-7-0-glucuronide, luteolin-7-0- glucoside, tanetin" ^[PDR]
  
• "Polyynes: presumably only in fresh plants" ^[PDR]

Propagation

"Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Only just cover the seed and do not allow the pot to dry out. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer, after the last expected frosts. If you have sufficient seed it can be sown outdoors in situ during the spring. Plants usually self-sow freely and so, once you have the plant, further sowing is usually unnecessary[K]. Division in spring. Since the plants are quite short-lived, this method is not really very serviceable[K].^"[PFAF]

Cultivation

"A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[1]. Thrives in any kind of soil[7], plants can even be grown in walls[219]. Often grown in the flower garden, feverfew is a short lived perennial but usually self-sows prolifically[7, K]. There are many named varieties selected for their ornamental value[238]. The cultivar 'Golden' (syn 'Yellow') has yellow tinted leaves[183]. The leaves have a refreshing aromatic aroma[245]." ^[PFAF]

Synonyms

• Chrysanthemum parthenium (L.) Bernh. ^{[E-flora][PFAF]}
• Matricaria parthenium L. ^{[E-flora][PFAF]}
• Aphanostephus pinulensis. ^[E-flora]
• Parthenium matricaria. ^[E-flora]

TANACETUM - TANSY

Family: Asteraceae (Compositae)

"Annual, perennial herb; <= 150 cm, glabrous or hairy, often aromatic. Stem: 1 or 2–5+, prostrate to erect, branched proximally and/or distally, glabrous or hairy. Leaf: basal and/or cauline, alternate, petioled or sessile, ovate or elliptic to obovate or spoon-shaped, generally 1–3-pinnately lobed, ultimate margins entire, crenate, or dentate. Inflorescence: heads radiate or radiant to disciform [discoid], generally in ± flat-topped clusters, subsessile or peduncled; involucre generally hemispheric or wider; phyllaries 30–60+, ± equal or graduated in 3–5+ series, free, persistent, lanceolate to oblong or ± ovate, outer sometimes keeled, margins and tips scarious, pale to sometimes ± brown or black; receptacle flat to conic or hemispheric, epaleate, glabrous or hairy. Ray flower: 0 or 10–21, pistillate or sterile, ray oblong to fan-shaped, ± yellow or white [pink] (in disciform heads, peripheral pistillate flowers 8–30+, corolla pale yellow, ± bilateral, 3–4-lobed). Disk flower: 60–300+; corolla yellow, tube < narrowly funnel-shaped throat, lobes (4)5, triangular; anther tip narrowly triangular; style tips truncate, brush-like. Fruit: obconic or ± cylindric, generally 5–10 ribbed, generally resin-gland-dotted; pappus a crown of short scales."
"160 species: Europe, Asia, North America. (Possibly Greek through Latin: immortality) [Watson 2006 FNANM 19:489–491]" ^[Jepson]

Key to the Species and Taxonomic Notes
1. Heads disciform, numerous, usually 20-200.......................T. vulgare
1. Heads with ray and disk flowers, few to many, usually less than 20
2. Rays flowers white; leaves once or twice pinnately divided, the relatively broad segments often overlapping.......................T. parthenium
2. Rays flowers yellow; leaves twice to three times pinnately divided, the segments not at all overlapping........................T. bipinnatum
^[1.3]

Local Species;

1. Tanacetum bipinnatum - dune tansy ^{[E-flora][PCBC][TSFTK]}
   • ssp. huronense
2. Tanacetum parthenium - feverfew ^{[E-flora][PCBC]}
3. Tanacetum vulgare - common tansy ^{[E-flora][PCBC][TSFTK]}

Dune Tansy - Tanacetum bipinnatum

Family: Aster - Asteraceae Family

Identification

• SUBTAXA PRESENT IN BC
  
• Tanacetum bipinnatum ssp. huronense ^[E-flora]
  
• "General: Perennial herb from a branched creeping rhizome; stems stout, erect or ascending, several, branched, moderately or more usually long-hairy with flattened hairs, sometimes reddish, 20-60 cm tall." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Leaves: Basal leaves well-developed and larger than the stem leaves or reduced or lacking, rather thick with an expanded, clasping base, 2-3 times pinnately cut, the ultimate segments with indistinctly winged axis of the inflorescence and blunt or rounded tips; stem leaves similar, smaller, alternate, 5-20 cm long, 2-5 cm wide."^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Flowers: Heads with ray and disk flowers, several, terminal on the branches in a short, flat-topped inflorescence; involucres 4-6 mm tall; involucral bracts lanceolate to oblong, firm except for the papery margins and tip; ray flowers yellow, few; disk flowers yellow, 5-toothed, glandular.^{"[IFBC-E-flora]}
• "Fruits: Achenes squared off at the top, 5-angled, ribbed, glandular-dotted; pappus a minute, somewhat lobed crown.^{"[IFBC-E-flora]}
• Habitat / Range
  "Moist to mesic sand dunes in the lowland zone; infrequent in coastal BC; S to N CA." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
• Origin Status: Native ^[E-flora]

References

1. [E-flora] http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Tanacetum%20bipinnatum&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 [Accessed: 12/16/2014]
2. [E-flora] http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Tanacetum%20parthenium&redblue=Both&lifeform=7 [Accessed: 12/16/2014]
3. [Jepson]Linda E. Watson 2012, Tanacetum, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=627, accessed on July 16, 2018.
4. [PFAF] http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Tanacetum+parthenium, Accessed Dec 16, 2014