Calendula officinalis

Species of flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae

Calendula officinalis, the pot marigold, common marigold, ruddles, Mary's gold or Scotch marigold, is a flowering plant in the daisy family Asteraceae. It is probably native to southern Europe, though its long history of cultivation makes its precise origin unknown. It is also widely naturalised farther north in Europe (as far as southern England) and elsewhere in warm temperate regions of the world. The Latin specific epithet officinalis refers to the plant's medicinal and herbal uses.

Calendula officinalis is a short lived aromatic herbaceous perennial, growing to tall, with sparsely branched lax or erect stems. The leaves are oblong lanceolate, long, hairy on both sides, and with margins entire or occasionally waved or weakly toothed. The inflorescences are yellow, comprising a thick capitulum or flowerhead diameter surrounded by two rows of hairy bracts; in the wild plant they have a single ring of ray florets surrounding the central disc florets. The disc florets are tubular and hermaphroditic, and generally of a more intense orange yellow colour than the female, tridentate, peripheral ray florets. The flowers may appear all year long where conditions are suitable. The fruit is a thorny curved achene

Pot marigold florets are edible. They are often used to add color to salads or added to dishes as a garnish in lieu of saffron. While the leaves are also edible, they are generally not considered palatable, though historically they have been incorporated into potherb and salads. Additionally, the plant is utilized for tea making purposes. Flowers were used in ancient Greek, Roman, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures as a medicinal herb, as well as a dye for fabrics, foods, and cosmetics. It has also been used in eye drops. Moreover, the flowers of Calendula officinalis contain flavonol glycosides, triterpene oligoglycosides, oleanane type triterpene glycosides, saponins, and a sesquiterpene glucoside. Calendula flowers are a rich source of lutein, containing 29.8 mg/100g.

Plant pharmacological studies have suggested that Calendula extracts may have anti viral, anti genotoxic, and anti inflammatory properties in vitro. In an in vitro assay, the methanol extract of C. officinalis exhibited antibacterial activity and both the methanol and the ethanol extracts showed antifungal activities.