description
Tanacetum vulgare is a perennial, herbaceous flowering plant of the
Asteraceae family.
The plant's erect stem is stout and somewhat reddish. It is usually smooth,
growing 50–150 cm in height, and branching
near the top.
Tansy features finely divided compound leaves 10-15 cm in length.
The leaves are alternate, and are pinnately
lobed. They are divided almost to the center into about seven pairs of segments (lobes),
which are again divided into smaller lobes with saw-toothed edges.
This gives the leaf an almost fernlike appearance.
The yellow flower heads are produced in terminal clusters from
mid-to-late summer. The blooms are yellow, roundish, flat-topped, and
button-like. The scent is similar to that of camphor with hints of
rosemary.
common names & nomenclature
The common name tansy is derived from the Old French tanesie (13th century, Modern French
tanaisie), from Latin tanacetum which means "wormwood," from a shortened form of
Greek athanasia which means "immortality”.
Also known as:
golden buttons, cow bitter, tansy, common tansy, bitter buttons, mugwort
