Tagetes Materia Medica

In the herbal medicine literature tagetes and calendula, both referred to as marigolds, are commonly confused or discussed as substitutes for one another. As noted above, one time many of the herbal preparations described as calendula extracts were actually prepared from tagetes. Presumably tagetes exerted some of the desired clinical effects associated with calendula. While there are similarities, the herbs have significant difference.

Medicinally infusions or decoctions are traditionally used to treat common cold, upper and lower respiratory tract inflammations, digestive system complaints such as dyspepsia and diarrhea, liver disorders and hemorrhoids. In China, a decoction of tagetes flowers is used to treat sore eyes, mumps, colds, whooping cough, mastitis and colic. In Africa, tagetes ointment is used to destroy maggots in festering wounds and tagetes roots and seeds are administered as a purgative to detoxify the body from poisons.

Download this chapter to learn more about TAGETES—Tagetes spp.