Vernac. names.—Ma-nturisi (Oloke Meji, Dodd); Paico (Argentine, Bettfreund; Chile, Mus. Kew); Ambrosie, ou thé du Mexique (Antilles, Descourtilez); Herva formigueira, Herva de Santa Maria (Angola-Portuguese Colonists, Welwitsch); Iparote (Mexico, Palmer); Herba Santa Maria (Brazil, Hooper); Culen (Chile, Hooper).—Sweet Pigweed, Mexican Tea, Jerusalem Oak, American Wormseed.
Oloke Meji (Dodd, No. 412, 1908, Herb. Kew); Lower Congo, Angola, Mozambique District and widely distributed in many warm countries; naturalised in Florida, California and other United States.
Used medicinally, Oloke Meji (Dodd, Herb. Kew), Angola (Hiern, Cat. Welw. Afr. Pl. iv. p. 898), by the Indians, Mexico, as a febrifuge (Palmer, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts & Sci. xxi. 1886, p. 437), in the Antilles (Descourtilez. l.c.) and in India—as an infusion or tea of the plant (Hooper, Agric. Ledger, No. 6, 1904, p. 68).
An infusion is used in the treatment of indigestion, Chile (Mus. Kew) and in the Museum there is exhibited a specimen of “Serkys” Tea, described as a mixture of herbs from Lebanon and Mecca including C. ambrosioides, as sold in Paris.
Wormseed used as an anthelmintic, United States, is cultivated to a considerable extent in Maryland, where the distillation of the plant for the oil is carried on chiefly from the fruit: but sometimes from the leafy part of the plant (Henkel, seq. p. 42).
The plant is under experiment in India as a source of oil from the seed (Perfumery & Essential Oil Record, seq.).
A sub-erect annual 2 ft. high; but according to Welwitsch (Hiern, l.c.) commonly biennial or triennial; and in general a common weed. Propagated from seed, and under cultivation may be planted out about 1½ ft. apart.
The list of illustrations (p. 544) and the reading list (p. 545) are not transcribed.