NAME: Calendula officinalis

FAMILY: Asteraceae

COMMON NAMES: Marigold, Pot Marigold, ruddles

LOCAL NAMES: Ododo-Maria

MORPHOLIGICAL DESCRIPTION: Calendula officinalis is a short-lived aromatic herbaceous perennial. The flowers maybe orange or yellow. The plant grows to about 30cm with branching stems that are slightly or moderately hairy or sticky.

USEFUL PART(s): flower, leave and root

GENERAL USES

Pot marigold florets and leaves are edible.
They are often used to add color to salads and food generally
It also has medicinal benefits.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Australia and New Zealand

WHY IS IT GREEN?

treating sore throat and mouth,
menstrual cramps,
cancer
pain and swelling (inflammation)
stomach and duodenal ulcers.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Calendula may cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to the Asteraceae/Compositae family.

FUN FACTS

Pot marigold is one of the few plants which is considered astringent despite not being high in tannins.
Plant pharmacological studies have suggested that Calendula extracts may have anti-viral, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro

FURTHER READING

Efstratiou, E., Hussain, A. I., Nigam, P. S., Moore, J. E., Ayub, M. A., & Rao, J. R. (2012). Antimicrobial activity of Calendula officinalis petal extracts against fungi, as well as Gram-negative and Gram-positive clinical pathogens. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2012.02.003

Lastra Valdés, H., & Piquet García, R. (1999). Calendula officinalis. In Revista Cubana de Farmacia. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2006-952092

Ong, H. C., Mahlia, T. M. I., Masjuki, H. H., & Norhasyima, R. S. (2011). Comparison of palm oil, Jatropha curcas and Calophyllum inophyllum for biodiesel: A review. In Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2011.05.005

Preethi, K. C., Kuttan, G., & Kuttan, R. (2006). Antioxidant potential of an extract of Calendula officinalis flowers in vitro and in vivo. Pharmaceutical Biology. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880200601009149

Roveroni-Favaretto, L. H. D., Lodi, K. B., & Almeida, J. D. (2009). Topical Calendula officinalis L. successfully treated exfoliative cheilitis: A case report. Cases Journal. https://doi.org/10.1186/1757-1626-2-9077