Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus (Chrysanthemum)

constituting approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family

Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Etymology
• 2 Taxonomy
• 3 History
• 4 Economic uses
o 4.1 Ornamental uses
o 4.2 Culinary uses
o 4.3 Insecticidal uses
o 4.4 Environmental uses
o 4.5 Medicinal uses
• 5 Cultural significance and symbolism
o 5.1 China
o 5.2 Japan
o 5.3 United States
o 5.4 Australia
o 5.5 Others
• 6 Image Gallery
• 7 See also
• 8 References
• 9 Further reading

• 10 External links

Etymology
The name Chrysanthemum is derived from the Greek, chrysos (gold) and anthos (flower).
[1]
In many countries, Chrysanthemums are a beautiful reminder that Autumn has arrived

Taxonomy
The genus once included a larger number of 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 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. During the period
between the splitting of the genus and the ICBN ruling, these species have customarily
been included under the genus name Dendranthema.

The other species previously included in the narrow view of the genus Chrysanthemum
are now transferred to the genus Glebionis. The other genera separate from
Chrysanthemum include Argyranthemum, Leucanthemopsis, Leucanthemum,
Rhodanthemum, and Tanacetum.

Chrysanthemum are herbaceous perennial plants growing to 50–150 cm tall, with deeply
lobed leaves with large flower heads that are generally white, yellow or pink in the wild
and are the preferred diet of larvae of certain lepidoptera species — see list of
Lepidoptera that feed on chrysanthemums.

History
Historical painting of Chrysanthemums from the New International Encyclopedia 1902.

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the
15th century BC.[2] An ancient Chinese city (Xiaolan Town of Zhongshan City) was
named Ju-Xian, meaning "chrysanthemum city". The plant is particularly significant
during the Double Ninth Festival. It is believed that the flower may have been brought to
Japan in the 8th century CE[citation needed], 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 [citation needed]. Linnaeus named it from
the Greek word χρυσός chrysous, "golden" (the colour of the original flowers), and
ἄνθεμον -anthemon, meaning flower.

Economic uses
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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 colors 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.

Chrysanthemums are broken into two basic groups, Garden Hardy and Exhibition.
Garden hardy mums are new perennials capable of being wintered over in the ground in
most northern latitudes. Exhibition varieties are not usually as sturdy. Garden hardies are
defined by their ability to produce an abundance of small blooms with little if any
mechanical assistance (i.e., staking) and withstanding wind and rain. Exhibition varieties
on the other hand require staking, over-wintering in a relatively dry cool environment,
sometimes with the addition of night lights.

The Exhibition varieties can be used to create many amazing plant forms; Large
disbudded blooms, spray forms, as well as many artistically trained forms, such as:
Thousand Bloom, Standard (trees), Fans, Hanging Baskets, Topiary, Bonsai, and
Cascades.

Chrysanthemum blooms are divided into 13 different bloom forms by the US National
Chrysanthemum Society, Inc., which is in keeping with the international classification
system. The bloom forms are defined by the way in which the ray and disk florets are
arranged.

Chrysanthemum blooms are composed of many individual flowers (florets), each one
capable of producing a seed. The disk florets are in the center of the bloom head, and the
ray florets are on the perimeter. The ray florets are considered imperfect flowers, as they
only possess the female productive organs, while the disk florets are considered perfect
flowers as they possess both male and female reproductive organs.

Irregular Incurve: These are the giants of the chrysanthemum world. Quite often
disbudded to create a single giant bloom (ogiku), the disk florets are completely
concealed, while the ray florets curve inwardly to conceal the disk and also hang down to
create a 'skirt'.

Reflex: The disk florets are concealed and the ray florets reflex outwards to create a mop
like appearance.

Regular Incurve: Similar to the irregular incurves, only usually smaller blooms, with
nearly perfect globular form. Disk florets are completely concealed. They used to be
called 'Chinese'.

Decorative: Similar to reflex blooms without the mop like appearance. Disk florets are
completely concealed, ray florets usually don't radiate at more than a 90 degree angle to
the stem.
Intermediate Incurve: These blooms are in-between the Irregular and Regular incurves
in both size and form. They usually have broader florets and a more loosely composed
bloom. Again, the disk florets are completely concealed.

Pompon: *Note the spelling, it is not pompom. The blooms are fully double, of small
size, and almost completely globular in form.

Single/Semi-Double: These blooms have completely exposed disk florets, with between
1 and 7 rows of ray florets, usually radiating at not more than a 90 degree angle to the
stem.

Anemone: The disk florets are prominently featured, quite often raised and
overshadowing the ray florets.

Spoon: The disk florets are visible and the long tubular ray florets are spatulate.

Quill: The disk florets are completely concealed, and the ray florets are tube like.

Spider: The disk florets are completely concealed, and the ray florets are tube like with
hooked or barbed ends, hanging loosely around the stem.

Brush & Thistle: The disk florets may be visible. The ray florets are often tube like, and
project all around the flower head, or project parallel to the stem.

Exotic: These blooms defy classification as they possess the attributes of more than one
of the other twelve bloom types.

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

Chrysanthemum leaves are steamed or boiled and used as greens, especially in Chinese
cuisine. Other uses include using the petals of chrysanthemum to mix with a thick snake
meat soup (蛇羹) in order to enhance the aroma.

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, except in consumer airborne backyard applications. They 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.[3]

Medicinal uses

Extracts of Chrysanthemum plants (stem and flower) have been shown to have a wide
variety of potential medicinal properties, including anti-HIV-1,[4][5] antibacterial[6] and
antimycotic.[7]

An Irregular Incurve
chrysanthemum, or 大 菊
Chrysanthemum
ogiku in Japanese,
coronarium in the
Dried chrysanthemumA redTel Aviv botanical meaning "big
flowers chrysanthemum garden chrysanthemum". The size
of this flower is around
20cm (about 8 inches)

Cultivated
chrysanthemums can Chrysanthemum
be yellow, white, or morifolium - an
example of Spoon
even bright red, such
shaped bloom
as these

[edit] Cultural significance and symbolism

In some countries of Europe (e.g., France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Croatia), white
chrysanthemums are symbolic of death and are only used for funerals or on graves -
similarly, in China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation
and/or grief. In some other countries, it represents honesty.[8] In the United States, the
flower is usually regarded as positive and cheerful.[9]

Chrysanthemum Crest onChrysanthemum Crest

A Ming Dynasty Chinese red
the Japanese battleshipThe gate of Yasukuni
lacquerware dish with carved design
Mikasa shrine
of chrysanthemums and dragons

[edit] China

• The chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Gentlemen" ( 四 君 子 ) of China (the

others being the plum blossom, the orchid, and bamboo). The chrysanthemum is
said to have been favored by Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is
symbolic of nobility. It is also one of the 4 symbolic seasonal flowers.
• A Chrysanthemum Festival is held each year in Tongxiang, near Hangzhou,
China.[10]
• Chrysanthemums are the topic in hundreds of poems of China.[11]
• The "golden flower" referred to in the 2006 movie Curse of the Golden Flower is
a chrysanthemum.
• Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as
the 15th century BC.[1]
• An ancient Chinese city (Xiaolan Town of Zhongshan City) was named Ju-Xian,
meaning "chrysanthemum city".
• The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival.

[edit] Japan

• The Chrysanthemum Throne is the name given to the position of Japanese

emperor.
• Chrysanthemum crest ( 菊 花 紋 章 , kikukamonshō or kikkamonshō) is a general
term for a mon of chrysanthemum blossom design; there are more than 150
 different patterns. The Imperial Seal of Japan is a particularly notable one; it is
used by members of the Japanese Imperial family. There are also a number of
formerly state-endowed shrines (官国弊社, kankokuheisha) which have adopted a
chrysanthemum crest, most notably Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine.[12]
• The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum is a Japanese honor awarded by the
emperor.
• The city of Nihonmatsu, Japan hosts the "Nihonmatsu Chrysanthemum Dolls
Exhibition" every autumn in historical ruin of Kasumigajo castle.[13]
• In Imperial Japan, small arms were required to be stamped with the Imperial
Chrysanthemum as they were considered the personal property of the Emperor.
• The Chrysanthemum is also considered to be the seasonal flower of September.

[edit] United States

• The chrysanthemum is the flower of the American musician fraternity Phi Mu

Alpha Sinfonia.
• Chrysanthemums were recognized as the official flower of the city of Chicago in
1961.[14]
• Chrysanthemums are the official flower of the city of Salinas, CA
• The Rock band Everclear has a song named after the flower.
• The Punk rock band Strung Out references the flower in the song
Lucifermotorcade.

[edit] Australia

• Australians traditionally give their mother a bunch of chrysanthemums on

Mother's Day.

[edit] Others

• The white chrysanthemum is the flower of Triangle Fraternity, a society of

engineers, architects, and scientists.
• 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.[15]

[edit] Image Gallery

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chrysanthemum

Wikispecies has information related to: Chrysanthemum

• Chrysanthemum tea
• Chrysanthemum Throne
• Asteraceae
• Garland chrysanthemum
• Order of the Chrysanthemum
• Persian powder
• photoperiodism
• Pyrethrins, natural compounds
• Pyrethroids, synthetic versions
• Chrysanthemum
• Chrysanthemum Coronarium
• Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum

[edit] References
1. ^ landscaping.about.com
2. ^ History of the Chrysanthemum. National Chrysanthemum Society USA
3. ^ B. C. Wolverton, Rebecca C. McDonald, and E. A. Watkins, Jr. "Foliage Plants
for Removing Indoor Air Pollutants from Energy-efficient Homes" (PDF).
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/ssctrs.ssc.nasa.gov/foliage_air/foliage_air.pdf.
Retrieved 2007-05-03.[dead link]
4. ^ Collins RA, Ng TB, Fong WP, Wan CC, Yeung HW (1997). "A comparison of
human immunodeficiency virus type 1 inhibition by partially purified aqueous
extracts of Chinese medicinal herbs". Life Sciences 60 (23): PL345–51.
doi:10.1016/S0024-3205(97)00227-0. PMID 9180371.
5. ^ Hu CQ, Chen K, Shi Q, Kilkuskie RE, Cheng YC, Lee KH (January 1994).
"Anti-AIDS agents, 10. Acacetin-7-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside, an anti-HIV
principle from Chrysanthemum morifolium and a structure-activity correlation
with some related flavonoids". Journal of Natural Products 57 (1): 42–51.
doi:10.1021/np50103a006. PMID 8158164.
 6. ^ Sassi AB, Harzallah-Skhiri F, Bourgougnon N, Aouni M (February 2008).
"Antimicrobial activities of four Tunisian Chrysanthemum species". The Indian
Journal of Medical Research 127 (2): 183–92. PMID 18403798.
http://www.icmr.nic.in/ijmr/2008/february/0213.pdf.
7. ^ Marongiu B, Piras A, Porcedda S, et al. (2009). "Chemical and biological
comparisons on supercritical extracts of Tanacetum cinerariifolium (Trevir) Sch.
Bip. with three related species of chrysanthemums of Sardinia (Italy)". Natural
Product Research 23 (2): 190–9. doi:10.1080/14786410801946221.
PMID 19173127.
8. ^ Flower Meaning. Retrieved 22 September 2007. Archived October 12, 2007 at
the Wayback Machine.
9. ^ http://www.teleflora.com/about-flowers/chrysanthemum.asp
10. ^ "Remarkable Investment Attraction Result of Tongxiang City". Zhejiang
Foreign Frade and Economic Cooperation Bureau. Archived from the original on
16 December 2003.
http://web.archive.org/web/20031216082741/http://www.zftec.gov.cn/english/ope
n/govern/detail.jsp?m_id=561. Retrieved 17 July 2009.
11. ^ 2010 年 03 月 27 日星期六 二月十二庚寅(虎)年. "国学 365-中国历代菊花诗
365 首 ". Guoxue.com. http://www.guoxue.com/365/index.php?kid=006.
Retrieved 2010-03-27.
12. ^ Inoue, Nobutaka (2 June 2005). "Shinmon". Encyclopedia of Shinto.
http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/entry.php?entryID=271. Retrieved
2008-11-17.
13. ^ " 二 本 松 の 菊 人 形 ". City.nihonmatsu.lg.jp.
http://www.city.nihonmatsu.lg.jp/kanko/kiku/kiku.html. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
14. ^ http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/chiflower.html[dead link]
15. ^ "Birth Month Flower of November - The Chrysanthemum - Flowers, Low
Prices, Same Day Delivery". 1st in Flowers!. 2008-10-27.
http://www.1stinflowers.com/fom_november.html. Retrieved 2010-03-27.

[edit] Further reading

• Carvalho, S.M.P.; Abi-Tarabay, H.; Heuvelink, E. (2005). "Temperature affects
Chrysanthemum flower characteristics differently during three phases of the
cultivation period". Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 8 (2):
209–216. http://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/lang/338932.
• Ploeg, A. van der; Heuvelink, E. (2006). "The influence of temperature on growth
and development of chrysanthemum cultivars: a review". Journal of Horticultural
Science and Biotechnology 81 (2): 174–182.
http://library.wur.nl/WebQuery/wurpubs/lang/346163.

[edit] External links

• Chrysanthemum White
• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Chrysanthemum
• About.com page on Chrysanthemums
• Genus Dendranthema. New Name for Chrysanthemum
• Home Gardens Guide page on Chrysanthemum gardening and care
• United States National Chrysanthemum Society website
• ICBN: List of conserved genera (scroll down for Chrysanthemum)
• Auburn University (College of Agriculture) web page on Chrysanthemums
• University of California web page on aphid management