Tagetes lucida / Mexican Tarragon / Compositae (Sunflower family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Mexican Tarragon, Texas Tarragon, Pericon, Sweet Mace, Mexican Mint Marigold, Sweet Marigold, Sweetscented Marigold, Tzitziqui, Winter Tarragon. "Lucida" means: "shining" or "clear".

Scent

Bruised leaves have and intoxicating, sweet Licorice, and Tarragon-like smell with overtones of Anise, with a hint of floral. Tagetes lucida is amongst the most sweetly-scented of all flowers.

Aromatic Properties

Tagetes lucida offers a new dimension of relaxation to aromatherapy. The aroma clears thinking, relieves tension, aids emotional control. The dried plant can also be burnt as an incense and used to repel insects.

Contents

Tagetes species contain a number of bioactive compounds; notably flavonoids. Flavonoids constitute a large group of natural compounds, with an array of pharmacological activities. Notably, we find patuletin. We also find quercetagetin, and a related compound, quercetagritin. In addition to the abovementioned compounds, the genus Tagetes is rich in thiophenes, carotenoids and xanthophylls, as well as smaller levels of terpenes, ketones and other types of active chemicals. T. Lucida contains small amounts of methyl eugenol and anethole.

Historical

Bernal Diaz, one of the Conquistadors sent by Spain to explore middle America, recorded in his diary the Conquistadors astonishment at the gardens of the Aztec Emperor Montezuma, "with their many varieties of flowers and sweet-scented trees... his gardens were a wonderful sight." But plants were not merely used for decorative purposes as Diaz later notes; Montezuma kept a place within the palace gardens for "the medicinal and useful herbs". The Aztecs had developed a highly sophisticated system of medicine, in which these medicinal and useful herbs played a vital part. We know this because, in the wake of the Conquistadors, scholars travelled to the Americas to record the knowledge of the indigenous people in the form of codices and other documents. We can also see traces of traditional uses of herbs in the contemporary use of medicinal plants by Mexican communities.
In Sahagún’s description of the use of Tagetes Lucida: "it is an ejector of humors, it is a medicine... one who has chills drinks an infusion of it. It is rubbed in the hands with water. And with it there is incensing, and there is washing." It is worth mentioning that powdered Tagetes Lucida was also administered to certain sacrificial victims, with the dual intention of inducing both anaesthetic and hallucinogenic effects.
When Tagetes Lucida was administered to sacrificial victims, it was as a powder of dried herb, which would be blown into the face of the intended victim. It is not especially likely that this is an effective way of administering the drug. There are manyfold properties to Tagetes Lucida and Erecta, that, although commonplace to us, they actually held a central place in the Aztec world, being both sacred herbs of Tlaloc, and enormously important medicines.
Secretions from the roots of growing plants have an insecticidal effect on the soil and the growing plant also has a repellent effect on various insect pests. A yellow dye can be obtained from the flowers, which was also known in Cherokee herbal knowledge as well as the medicinal qualities.
It is used in the kitchen as a condiment and tea. Leaves are dried and ground into a powder then used as a Tarragon substitute for flavouring soups, sauces etc. They have an Anise-like flavour. The petals are used as a condiment.

Plant Description

Tagetes Lucida or Mexican tarragon is an attractive landscape ornamental, a beautiful, bright green perennial herb. Mexican tarragon is originally from Guatemala and the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is a half-hardy semi-woody sub-shrub that grows 50-100cm tall. The plant is bushy with many smooth, upright, unbranched stems. The leaves are linear to oblong, about 7cm long, and shiny medium green, not blue-green as in real French Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus). In late summer Mexican tarragon bears clusters of small yellow flower heads on the ends of the stems. The flower heads are about a half inch across and have 3-5 golden-yellow ray florets. They continue to bloom late into autumn.

References

(1) The Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual, Sylla Sheppard-Hanger, Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy

Articles

Any information provided about products on this website, including any links to external websites, is purely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and should never be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the products.

Lucid Dreaming
Tagetes lucida - Aztec Medicine by Francisco Guerra
Tagetes lucida - Aztecs: Yauhtli and Cempoalxochitl.
Tagetes lucida - Floridata