Slight resemblance : The white outer petals of the flowers, like Sneezewort are rather few in number and wider than is usual for a Daisy-type plant, fewer even than the few petals of Feverfew, but they appear cleaner in Feverfew. Also, the central florets of Sneezewort are cream coloured rather than the brilliant yellow of Feverfew.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature : The few white petals are only about a dozen in number and wider than most daisy-type flowers. Together with the central yellow florets, it is quite distinctive.

This is a garden plant, with short white rays surrounding a a set of central yellow disc florets. The rays are often doubled. It is synonymous with chrysanthemum parthenium and with pyrethrum parthenium, and as its' latter name suggests contains pyrethrum. Feverfew has a smell reminiscent of camphor.

Feverfew has long been known as a healing herb for a variety of ailments such as headaches, migraine, tinnitus and arthritis. It relieves migraines by preventing the blood vessels within the brain friom going into smasm. It can aid digestion and is used in some digestive apertives. It can cause problems over prolonged periods of intake. The leaves contain an irritant which can cause mouth ulcers.

It contains parthenolide, an allergenic sesquiterpene lactone which has a reactive exo-cyclic methylene group, which can form bonds with the thiol groups in proteins. Parthenolide occurs with greatest concentration in the flowers and fruit of Feverfew. The lipophilic flavonol tanetin is another of the ingredients active in its medicinal use. Tanetin (6-hydroxykaempferol 3,7,4'-trimethylether) may contribute to Feverfews anti-inflammatory properties so useful for migraines and is found in both the seeds and the leaves. It occurrs together with 6-hydroxykaempferol 3,7'-dimethylether), Quercetagetin 3,7-dimethylether and Quercetagetin 3,7,3'-trimethylether. The essential oil of Tansy consists of a number of volatile monoterpenoids that contribute to the overall strong smell; these include Camphor, Camphene, Germacrene D, p-Cymene, Terpinen-4-ol, Borneol, Chrysanthenyl Acetate and other compounds. Note that Chrysanthenyl Acetate has a cyclo-butane group within it. Chrysanthenyl Acetate is Myrtenol with an added acetate group.

Its botanical name parthenium stems from the Greek work parthenos meaning 'virgin' which alludes to its mediaeval use in treating menstrual problems.

The leaves of Feverfew smell aromatic when crushed.

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