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- Matricaria discoidea
Matricaria discoidea — rayless chamomile
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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
Rayless chamomile is native to northwestern North America and has spread eastward and to Europe. It was used by Native Americans as a medicinal and aromatic plant. Another common name is pineapple weed, which refers to the shape and smell of the flower heads.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
-
- leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets)
- leaves are simple (i.e., 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 no teeth or lobes
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Ray flower color
- NA
- 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
- 5–85 mm
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract inner side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their inner surfaces
- Bract keels
- the bracts do not have keels
- Bract margins
- there are few or no fine hairs along the bract margins
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- the bracts appear completely unconnected to one another on all flower heads
- Bract shape
- the main bracts are oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
- the bracts have a similar texture to a leaf
- Bract tip extension appearance
- NA
- Bract tip extension edge
- there are no projections from the bract tips
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
-
- green to brown
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 4
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk width
- 4–10 mm
- 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 platform surface
- NA
- Flower head position
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- Flower head profile
- the disk is conical across the top
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Height of flower head base
- 2.5–3.8 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
-
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- the inflorescence is not flat-topped but appears rounded, with some flower heads distinctly higher than others
- Inflorescence stem
- the stem of the inflorescence is not hairy
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 29–47
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
-
- there are four to six lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- there are three lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- Peduncle hair type
- the hairs on the peduncles are simple (not branched), don’t have glands, and are not woolly
- Peduncle hairs
-
- the peduncles are hairy
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Peduncle length
- 2–30 mm
- Peduncle orientation
- the flower heads are held upright, or slightly angled outwards
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Ray flowers
- 0
- Ray length
- 0 mm
- Reproductive system
- all the flowers on the plant contain both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is a cycle of much smaller bracts outside the cycle of larger and longer bracts
- Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 1
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.15–1.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- 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 no glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Ovary glands
- there are no visible glands on the ovary
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Horizontal rooting stem
- there are no stolons
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is annual, it lacks evidence of previous years' growth
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- 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 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 no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- 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 no teeth or lobes
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 5–85 mm
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 2–20 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- 0 mm
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf tufts in axils
- there are clusters of smaller leaves growing out of axils
- Leaf type
-
- leaves are compound (made up of two or more discrete leaflets)
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- 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 leaf is compound, there are two or more discrete leaflets
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Scent
- Plant odor
-
- the plant has a pleasant odor, such as licorice, fruit or resin
- the plant has an unpleasant or repellant odor
-
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 bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- NA
- Stem internode hair length
- 0 mm
- Stem internode hair type
- 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
Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)
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
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Synonyms
- Chamomilla suaveolens (Pursh) Rydb.
- Lepidanthus suaveolens (Pursh) Nutt.
- Matricaria matricarioides, of authors not (Less.) Porter
- Matricaria suaveolens (Pursh) Buch.
- Tanacetum suaveolens (Pursh) Hook.
Family
Genus
From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae
2. Matricaria discoidea DC. E
rayless chamomile. Chamomilla suaveolens (Pursh) Rydb.; Lepidanthus suaveolens (Pursh) Nutt.; Matricaria matricarioides, auct. non (Less.) Porter; M. suaveolens (Pursh) Buch.; Tanacetum suaveolens (Pursh) Hook. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Roadsides, yards, waste areas, disturbed soil.