Tagetes foetidissima
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tagetes foetidissima | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Tagetes |
| Species: | T. foetidissima |
| Binomial name | |
| Tagetes foetidissima | |
Tagetes foetidissima is a Mesoamerican species of marigolds in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread across much of Mexico and Central America from Tamaulipas to Costa Rica.[1] Common name is "flor de muerto," Spanish for "death flower."[2][3][4]
Tagetes foetidissima is a branching annual herb sometimes as much as 100 cm (40 inches) tall. Leaves are up to 9 cm (3.6 inches) long, divided into 11-29 toothed leaflets. One plant produces many small flower heads in a flat-topped array, each head contains 5 small, pale yellow ray florets surrounding about 7 greenish-yellow disc florets. The head is cylindrical, with purple bracts along the outside.[2]
The plant grows in disturbed areas and has been reported as a weed in cultivated maize fields. It is aromatic but with an odor that most humans find disagreeable.[5]