| Chrysanthemum |

A cluster of chrysanthemums
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| Scientific classification |
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| Species |
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Chrysanthemum aphrodite
Chrysanthemum arcticum
Chrysanthemum argyrophyllum
Chrysanthemum arisanense
Chrysanthemum boreale
Chrysanthemum chalchingolicum
Chrysanthemum chanetii
Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium
Chrysanthemum coronarium, Crown daisy
Chrysanthemum crassum
Chrysanthemum glabriusculum
Chrysanthemum hypargyrum
Chrysanthemum indicum
Chrysanthemum japonense
Chrysanthemum japonicum
Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium
Chrysanthemum mawii
Chrysanthemum maximowiczii
Chrysanthemum mongolicum
Chrysanthemum morifolium
Chrysanthemum morii
Chrysanthemum okiense
Chrysanthemum oreastrum
Chrysanthemum ornatum
Chrysanthemum pacificum
Chrysanthemum potentilloides
Chrysanthemum segetum
Chrysanthemum shiwogiku
Chrysanthemum sinuatum
Chrysanthemum vestitum
Chrysanthemum weyrichii
Chrysanthemum yoshinaganthum
Chrysanthemum zawadskii
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Chrysanthemums are a genus (Chrysanthemum) of about 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and northeastern Europe.
Taxonomy
The genus once included many more species, but was split several decades ago into several genera; the naming of the genera has
been contentious, but a ruling of the International Code of
Botanical Nomenclature in 1999 has resulted in the defining species of the genus being changed to Chrysanthemum
indicum, thereby restoring the economically important florist's chrysanthemum to the genus Chrysanthemum. These
species were, after the splitting of the genus but before the ICBN ruling, commonly treated under the genus name
Dendranthema.
The other species previously treated in the narrow view of the genus Chrysanthemum are now transferred to the genus
Glebionis. The other genera split off from Chrysanthemum include
Argyranthemum, Leucanthemopsis,
Leucanthemum, Rhodanthemum, and
Tanacetum.
The species of Chrysanthemum are herbaceous perennial plants growing to 50–150 cm tall, with deeply lobed leaves and large flowerheads, white,
yellow or pink in the wild species.
Chrysanthemum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species — see list of
Lepidoptera which feed on Chrysanthemum.
Today’s flowers are not as bright or large as ‘show’ varieties.
History
Cultivated chrysanthemums can be yellow, white, or even bright red, such as these.
Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as
far back as the 15th century BC. An ancient Chinese city was named Ju-Xian, meaning "chrysanthemum city". The flower was introduced into Japan
probably in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor
adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a "Festival of Happiness" in
Japan that celebrates the flower.
The flower was brought to Europe in the 17th century. Linnaeus named it from the Greek prefix chrys-, which
means golden (the colour of the original flowers), and -anthemon, meaning flower.
Economic uses
Ornamental uses
Modern chrysanthemums are much more showy than their wild relatives. The flowers occur in
various forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons. This genus contains many hybrids and thousands of cultivars developed for horticultural purposes. In
addition to the traditional yellow, other colours are available, such as white, purple, and red. The most important hybrid is
Chrysanthemum × morifolium (syn. C. × grandiflorum), derived primarily from C. indicum but also involving
other species.
Chrysanthemum leaves resemble its close cousin, the mugwort weed — so much so that mugwort is sometimes called wild
chrysanthemum — making them not always the first choice for professional gardeners.
Culinary uses
Yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia. The resulting beverage is known
simply as "chrysanthemum tea" (菊花茶, pinyin: júhuā chá,
in Chinese). Chrysanthemum tea has many medicinal uses, including an aid in recovery
from influenza. In Korea, a rice wine flavored with
chrysanthemum flowers is called gukhwaju (국화주).photo
1photo
2
Insecticidal uses
Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum [or Tanacetum]
cinerariaefolium) is economically important as a natural source of insecticide. The
flowers are pulverized, and the active components called pyrethrins, contained in the seed
cases, are extracted and sold in the form of an oleoresin. This is applied as a suspension in
water or oil, or as a powder. Pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit
female mosquitoes from biting. When not present in amounts fatal to insects, they still appear
to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds
than many synthetic insecticides and are non-persistent, being biodegradable and also
breaking down easily on exposure to light. They are considered to be amongst the
safest insecticides for use around food. (Pyrethroids are
synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum, e.g., permethrin.)
Environmental uses
Chrysanthemum plants have been shown to reduce indoor air pollution by the NASA Clean Air
study. [1]
Cultural significance and symbolism
In some countries of Europe, Korea and in Japan, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are only used for funerals or
on graves. In China, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation, while in some other countries, of honesty.[2] In the United States,
the flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful.[citation needed]
- The Chrysanthemum Throne (Japanese:
菊花紋章, kikukamonshō or kikkamonshō) is the name given to the position of Japanese
emperor. The chrysanthemum (菊 kiku in Japanese) is the monshō ("badge" or "crest") of the emperor of Japan, and therefore the flower represents the emperor and
Imperial House. The term kikukamonshō literally means the
"Chrysanthemum Crest" (Imperial Seal).
- The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum: a Japanese honor awarded by the
emperor.
- The chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Junzi Flowers" (四君子) of
China (the others being ume, orchid, and bamboo), known in Chinese as jú (菊). The jú is said to have been favored by
Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is symbolic of nobleness.
- The chrysanthemum is the flower of the American musician fraternity Phi Mu Alpha
Sinfonia.
- The white chrysanthemum is the flower of Triangle Fraternity, a society of engineers, architects, and scientists.
- Chrysanthemums were recognized as the official flower of the city of Chicago in
1966.[1]
- The term "chrysanthemum" is also used to refer to a certain type of firework shell that
produces a pattern of trailing sparks similar to a chrysanthemum flower. [citation needed]
- The chrysanthemum is also the flower of November.[2]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
References
- ^ B. C. Wolverton, Rebecca C. McDonald, and E. A. Watkins,
Jr. Foliage Plants for Removing Indoor Air Pollutants from Energy-efficient Homes. Retrieved on 2007-05-03.
- ^ Flower Meaning. Retrieved 22 September 2007.
External links
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)