Weed Information: Tanacetum balsamita
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Tanacetum balsamita

Common Names: costmary, alecost, balsam herb, bible leaf, mint geranium chrysanthemum balsamita

Description

Commonly with no ray flowers but one variety has short white rays. Escaped from cultivation throughout much of North America. Note the evenly toothed leaves and their `minty` aroma.

Characteristics

Flower Color
  • Orange
  • Yellow-orange
  • Yellow
  • White
  • Multi-colored
Inflorescence Type (How the flowers are arranged on the plant)
  • Corymb
  • Head
Number of Petals
  • 0 (no petals)
  • 5 petals
  • more than 10 petals
Petal Separation
  • Completely free to base
  • United > 75% of length
Petal Tip
  • Pointed
  • Rounded
Flower Symmetry
  • Flowers regular
Flower Length (Head length in the Asteraceae)
  • 3 mm (.12 inch)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
Flower Width (Head width in the Asteraceae)
  • 4 mm (.16 inch)
  • 5 mm (.20 inch)
  • 6 mm (.24 inch)
  • 7 mm (.28 inch)
  • 1.5 cm (.60 inch)
  • 2.0 cm (.80 inch)
Number of Sepals
  • sepals lacking
  • more than 10 sepals
Sepal Separation
  • Completely free to base
Sepal Tip
  • Rounded
Flower Sex
  • Bisexual (perfect)
Number of Styles
  • 1 style
Number of Stamens
  • 5 stamens
Stamens Attached to the Petals
  • Stamens attached to the petals
Stamens Connate (united)
  • Anthers united, syngynoecious

Carpel Separation
  • Carpels united (or one)
Number of Carpels
  • 1 carpel
Ovary Position
  • Inferior (epigynous)
Fruit Type
  • Achene
Fruit Length at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
  • 2 mm (.08 inch)
Fruit Width at Maturity
  • 1 mm (.04 inch) or less
Burs
  • Fruit or seed NOT bur-like

Leaf Arrangement
  • Alternate
Leaf Type
  • Simple (including lobed leaves)
Stipules
  • Lacking
Tendrils
  • Tendrils absent
Venation
  • Pinnate
Petiole (leaf stem) Blade Ratio
  • Petiole absent (leaf sessile)
  • Petiole < 25% total length
  • Petiole 25% - 75% total length
Leaf Length (blade PLUS petiole)
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.60 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
  • 2 - 4 dm (8.0 - 16.0 inches)
Leaf Width
  • 4 - 10 cm (1.6 - 4.0 inches)
  • 1 - 2 dm (4.0 - 8.0 inches)
Leaf Shape (simple leaves only)
  • Elliptic
  • Lanceolate
  • Oblong
Leaf or Leaflet Margin
  • Crenate
  • Dentate
  • Lobed
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Base
  • Acute (cuneate)
  • Rounded
Leaf or Leaflet Tip
  • Acute
  • Rounded (obtuse)
Leaf or Leaflet Blade Surface
  • Glabrous (NO hairs)
  • Sericeous or villous (silky)
  • Strigose
  • Villous or sericious (silky)
Succulence
  • Not succulent

Milky Juice
  • Juice NOT milky (watery)
Woodiness
  • Herbaceous
Spines or Thorns
  • Spines or Thorns ABSENT
Aromatic (vegetative structures)
  • Aromatic
Life Cycle
  • Perennial
Growth Habit (while flowering)
  • Erect, columnar (narrow)
Plant Height at Maturity
  • 6 - 8 dm (2.0 - 2.6 feet)
  • 8 - 10 dm (2.6 - 3.3 feet)
  • 1 - 1.5 meters (3.3 - 5.0 feet)
Wind Dissemination
  • Not wind disseminated
Moisture Regime
  • Mesic
Chlorophyll
  • Present

Stem Cross Section
  • Round
Flowering Stem Leaves
  • Stem leaves greatly reduced
  • Stem uniformly leafy
Main Stem Branches
  • Main stem unbranched
  • Main stem branched

Root or Vegetative Propagule
  • Rhizomatous

US State
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Illinois
  • Kansas
  • Massachusetts
  • Maine
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • New Hampshire
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Pennsylvania
  • Wisconsin
  • Indiana
  • Maryland
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Idaho
  • Montana
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
  • Washington
  • Wyoming
  • Nebraska
Other
  • District of Columbia
Canadian Province or Territory
  • Nova Scotia
  • Ontario
  • Quebec
  • Saskatchewan

  • Weeds of the Northern United States and Canada, 1964 Montgomery See page: 179
  • Weeds of Utah, 1971 UAES Special Report 21, See page: 95
  • Listed as a `Weed` by the Biota of North America Program, 2008 x
  • Listed in the WSSA Composite List of Weeds X
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