Wormseed Essential Oil
Wormseed is a hairy, coarse, perennial wayside herb up to 1 meter high with stout, erect stem, oblong-lanceolate leaves and numerous greenish-yellow flowers, the same color as the leaves. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation from the whole herb, especially the fruit or seeds. Wormseed is native to South America, but is cultivated mainly in east and south-east USA, also India, Hungary and Russia. Several Indian tribes in the eastern United States used the whole of the herb decocted for various female complaints, while the Chinese traditionally used wormseed to treat articular rheumatism.
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| Botanical Name: | Chenopodium ambrosioides L. var. anthelminticum |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Synonyms: | Chenopodium anthelminticum, American wormseed, chenopdium, Californian spearmint, Jesuits tea, Mexican tea. |
| See Also: | |
| Parts Used: | Whole herb |
| Extraction Method: | Steam Distillation. |
| Appearance: | Colourless to pale yellow liquid |
| Aroma Description: | Sweet, woody, camphoraceous. |
| Perfume note: | |
| Consistancy: | Thin |
| Strength of Initial Aroma: | |
| Blends well with: | |
| Historical Uses: | Used by native Indians in the US for treating painful menstruaton and other 'female complaints'. |
| Modern Uses: | Aromatherapy use None, Some use as a fragrance in soaps detergents, cosmetics and perfumes. |
| Cautions: | Very toxic. |
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