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- Balsamita major
Balsamita major — costmary
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New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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Facts
Costmary was at one time widely used to flavor beer (before the advent of hops), so it was an early introduction from Eurasia. An infusion of a smashed fresh leaf of costmary was used by the Iroquois for ear drops to cure earache.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
- white
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 100–200 mm
- Flower head width
- 4–20 mm
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract separation
- the bracts appear completely unconnected to one another on all flower heads
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- the main bracts are linear (long and very narrow)
- the main bracts are oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- the main bracts are ovate (egg-shaped)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
- the bracts appear thin, flexible and nearly translucent
- Bract tip color
- the tips are a different color from the center of the bract
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bracts
- there are at least two distinct forms of bracts in different cycles
- Disk flower color
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
-
- 4
- 5
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head number
-
- each flowering stem has four or more flower heads on it
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, the flowers have no enlarged lobe or strap, and are of similar size as those in the center of the disk
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head position
-
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
- Flower head profile
-
- the disk is conical across the top
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
- Flower head shape
- the flower head is hemispherical (like the bottom half of a sphere)
- Flower head width
- 4–20 mm
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 3–10 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 40–60
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary lines or ribs
-
- there are four to six lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- there are seven to nine ribs visible on the ovary
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- Ray flower color
- white
- Ray flower reproductive parts
-
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- there are neither carpels nor stamens in the ray flowers
- Ray flowers
-
- 0
- 1-5
- 11-15
- 6-10
- Ray length
- At least 0 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Width of flower head base
- 3–22 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 1
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.5–2 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 0.1–0.4 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- the pappus is made of a circle or rim of lobes or teeth on the ovary
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have no resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Ovary glands
- there are glands on the ovary surface
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
-
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- NA
- the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly
- Leaf blade length
- 100–200 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 20–80 mm
- Leaf disposition
-
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
- the leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs are pressed flat against the plant, pointing either towards the plant's tip or towards it's base
- Stem internode hair type
-
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Not classified
New England distribution and conservation status
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
Native to North America?
No
Synonyms
- Balsamita major Desf. var. tanacetoides (Boiss.) Moldenke
- Chrysanthemum balsamita (L.) Baill.
- C. balsamita (L.) Baill. var. tanacetoides Boiss.
- Pyrethrum majus (Desf.) Tzvelev
- Tanacetum balsamita L.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
1. Balsamita major Desf. E
costmary. Balsamita major Desf. var. tanacetoides (Boiss.) Moldenke; Chrysanthemum balsamita (L.) Baill.; C. balsamita (L.) Baill. var. tanacetoides Boiss.; Pyrethrum majus (Desf.) Tzvelev; Tanacetum balsamita L. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Roadsides, fields, vacant lots, abandoned homesteads.