TANSY.
Tanacetum vulgare L.
Other common names.—Bitter buttons, ginger plant, parsley fern, scented fern. (Fig. 16.)
Range and habitat.—Tansy was originally introduced into this country as a garden plant from Europe, where it is native. It has now escaped from cultivation and is found as a weed along waysides and fences in many places from New England to Minnesota and southward to North Carolina and Missouri.
Description.—This strong-scented perennial herb belongs to the aster family (Asteraceæ). The stout, erect stem is from 1½ to 3 feet high, branching near the top, somewhat reddish, and usually smooth. The general outline of the leaf is oval, and it is divided nearly to the midrib into about seven pairs of segments, which, like the terminal one, are again divided for about two-thirds of the distance to the midvein into smaller lobes having saw-toothed margins. The entire leaf is about 6 inches in length.
Tansy is in flower from July to September, and the roundish but flat-topped yellow flower heads are produced in dense terminal clusters.
Parts used.—At the time of flowering the leaves and tops are collected for medicinal purposes and are dried in the usual manner. The odor of tansy is strongly aromatic and the taste bitter. In drying, tansy loses about four-fifths of its weight.
Tansy is employed in derangements of women, and has stimulant and tonic properties. It is also used for expelling worms. This drug is poisonous and has been known to produce fatal results.
| Fig. 16.—Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.). |
Fig. 17.—Gum plant (Grindelia robusta Nutt.). |
Imports and prices.—About 30,000 pounds of tanacetum or tansy are imported annually. The price paid per pound ranges from 3 to 6 cents.