Tagetes patula

French marigold
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Clade:Asterids
Order:Asterales
Family:Asteraceae
Genus:Tagetes
Species: T. patula
Binomial name
Tagetes patula
Synonyms[1][2]
Tagetes patula - MHNT

Tagetes patula, the French marigold,[3][4] is a species in the daisy family (Asteraceae). It is native to Mexico and Guatemala[5] with several naturalised populations in many other countries.

Physical characteristics

The flower is an annual, occasionally reaching 0.5 m (1.6 ft) tall by 0.3 m (1.0 ft) wide. In some climates it flowers from July to October. In its native habitat of the highlands of central Mexico, blooms are produced from September to killing frost. Achenes ripen and are shed within two weeks of the start of bloom. The heads contain mostly hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs) florets and are pollinated primarily by beetles in the wild, as well as by tachinid flies and other insects. The leaves of all species of marigold include oil glands. The oils are pungent.[6] It can grow in both sandy and clay soils provided they have good drainage. It requires growing in sunlight. Resists cold well to -1°C ; from there it is sensitive to frost and does not develop in the shade.

Uses

Used mainly as an edging plant on herbaceous borders, it is a low-growing plant with flowers of blended red and yellow in most varieties. French marigolds are commonly planted in butterfly gardens as a nectar source. This species of tagete (or tagette) is one of those whose flowers are edible, and its taste is similar to that of the passion fruit. It is used in soups , flavored butters or "flower butters", and its petals color fruit salads.

Medicinally, many cultures use infusions from dried leaves or florets.[6] Research also suggests that T. patula essential oil has the ability to be used as residual pesticide against bedbugs.[7]

Culinary

The dried and ground flower petals constitute a popular spice in the Republic of Georgia in the Caucasus, where they are known as imeruli shaphrani (= 'Imeretian Saffron') from their pungency and golden colour and particular popularity in the Western province of Imereti.The spice imparts a unique,rather earthy flavour to Georgian cuisine, in which it is considered especially compatible with the flavours of cinnamon and cloves. It is also a well-nigh essential ingredient in the spice mixture khmeli suneli,which is to Georgian cookery what garam masala is to the cookery of North India - with which Georgia shares elements of the Mughlai cuisine.[8]

Colouring

Tagetes patula florets are grown and harvested annually to add to poultry feed to help give the yolks a golden color. The florets can also be used to color human foods.[6] A golden yellow dye is used to color animal-based textiles (wool, silk) without a mordant, but a mordant is needed for cotton and synthetic textiles.[6]

Fragrance

The whole plant is harvested when in flower and distilled for its essential oil. The oil is used in perfumery. It is blended with sandalwood oil to produce 'attar genda' perfume. About 35 kg (77 lb) of oil can be extracted from 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of the plant yielding 2,500 kg (5,500 lb) of flowers and 25,000 kg (55,000 lb) of herbage.

Other uses

The essential oil is being investigated for antifungal activity, including treatment of candidiasis[9] and treating fungal infections in plants.[10][11]

Gardening

The plant is used in companion planting for many vegetable crops. Its root secretions are believed to kill nematodes in the soil and it is said to repel harmful insects, such as white flies on tomatoes.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Tagetes patula". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  2. ↑ USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. "PLANTS Database". Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  3. ↑ "Tagetes patula". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  4. ↑ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. ↑ Rydberg, Per Axel 1913. in Britton, Nathaniel Lord, North American Flora 34: 154-155
  6. 1 2 3 4 Soule, J. A. 1993. "The Biosystematics of Tagetes" Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Texas
  7. ↑ Politi, Flávio Augusto Sanches; Nascimento, Juliana Damieli; Da Silva, Alexander Alves; Moro, Isabela Jacob; Garcia, Mariana Lopes; Guido, Rafael Victório Carvalho; Pietro, Rosemeire Cristina Linhari Rodrigue; Godinho, Antônio Francisco; Furlan, Maysa (2016). "Insecticidal activity of an essential oil of Tagetes patula L. (Asteraceae) on common bed bug Cimex lectularius L. And molecular docking of major compounds at the catalytic site of ClAChE1". Parasitology Research. 116 (1): 415–424. doi:10.1007/s00436-016-5305-x. PMID 27838836.
  8. ↑ Goldstein D. 1993 "The Georgian Feast" HarperCollins
  9. ↑ B. K. Dutta; S. Karmakar; A. Naglot; J. C. Aich & M. Begam (March 2007). "Anticandidial activity of some essential oils of a mega biodiversity hotspot in India". Mycoses. 50 (2): 121–124. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0507.2006.01332.x. PMID 17305775.
  10. ↑ Mares D, Tosi B, Poli F, Andreotti E, Romagnoli C (2004). "Antifungal activity of Tagetes patula extracts on some phytopathogenic fungi: ultrastructural evidence on Pythium ultimum". Microbiol Res. 159 (3): 295–304. doi:10.1016/j.micres.2004.06.001. PMID 15462529.
  11. ↑ C. Romagnoli; R. Bruni; E. Andreotti; M. K. Rai; C. B. Vicentini & D. Mares (April 2005). "Chemical characterization and antifungal activity of essential oil of capitula from wild Indian Tagetes patula L". Protoplasma. 225 (1–2): 57–65. doi:10.1007/s00709-005-0084-8. PMID 15868213.
  12. ↑ Sustainable Gardening Australia, Companion Planting retrieved on 8 June 2009
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.