Tagetes filifolia
Lag.
Asteraceae
Diglossus variabilis Cass.
Solenotheca tenella Nutt.
Tagetes anisata Lillo
Tagetes congesta Hook. & Arn.
Tagetes dichotoma Turcz.
Tagetes foeniculacea (Cass.) Desf.
Tagetes foeniculacea Poepp. ex DC.
Tagetes fragrantissima Sessé & Moc.
Tagetes multifida DC.
Tagetes pseudomicrantha Lillo
Tagetes pusilla Kunth
Tagetes scabra Brandegee
Tagetes silenoides Meyen & Walp.
Tagetes perretii Colla
Enalcida foeniculifolia Cass.
Enalcida pilifera Cass.
Common Name: Irish Lace
General Information
Tagetes filifolia is an erect, annual plant, usually much branched, growing 8 - 50cm tall. The plant has a strong aroma similar to that of anise or liquorice[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
The plant is harvested from the wild and used locally as a food flavouring, tea and medicinal herb. It is also used as an insect repellent.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
,
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
Range
Southern N. America - Mexico, south through C. America and western S. America to northern Argentina
Habitat
Moist, open or brushy, often rocky plains and slopes, common in pine-oak forest, often a weed in cornfields, at elevations from 900 - 2,500 metres[
331- Title
- Flora of Guatemala
- Publication
-
- Author
- Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
- Website
- http://www.archive.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 1946 - 1976
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Annual |
| Height | 0.40 m |
| Pollinators | Insects |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Tagetes filifolia is native to the seasonally dry tropics, though it can be grown as a tender annual in the temperate zone.
Requires a well-drained moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Grows well in heavy clay soils and in sandy soils[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
Grows well with tomatoes.
Removing dead flowers before the seed is formed will extend the flowering season[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
Plants are prone to slugs, snails and botrytis[
188- Title
- The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
- Publication
-
- Author
- Brickell. C.
- Publisher
- Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-86318-386-7
- Description
- Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
Edible Uses
The plants have an anise-scent and are used as a food flavouring[
183- Title
- Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-0-9
- Description
- Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
,
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
]. They make a very pleasant tea[
301- Title
- Cornucopia II
- Publication
-
- Author
- Facciola. S.
- Publisher
- Kampong Publications, California.
- Year
- 1998
- ISBN
- 0-9628087-2-5
- Description
- The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.
].
Medicinal
An infusion of the whole plant is used as a diuretic in home medicines[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].
Agroforestry Uses:
Although no specific mention of the following use has been seen for this species, most if not all members of this genus probably have a similar effect to a greater or lesser degree.
Secretions from the roots of growing plants have an insecticidal effect on the soil, effective against nematodes and to some extent against keeled slugs. These secretions are produced about 3 - 4 months after sowing[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. The growing plant is also said to repel insects and can be grown amongst crops such as potatoes and tomatoes.
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - sow in situ, only just covering the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 weeks.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
