Originally calledcempōhualxōchitl, by theNahua people, these plants are native to Central and SouthernMexico and several otherLatin American countries. Some species have become naturalized around the world. One species,T. minuta, is considered a noxiousinvasive plant in some areas.[3]
Tagetes species vary in size from 0.1 to 2.2 m tall. Most species havepinnate greenleaves. Blooms naturally occur in golden, orange, yellow, and white colors, often with maroon highlights.Flower heads are typically (1-) to 4–6 cm diameter, generally with both ray florets and disc florets. Inhorticulture, they tend to be planted asannuals, although the perennial species are gaining popularity. Like all marigolds, they have a fibrous root system.[6]
Depending on the species,Tagetes species grow well in almost any sort of soil. Most horticultural selections grow best in soil with good drainage, and some cultivars are known to have good tolerance to drought.[7]
TheLatinTagētes terrestis derives from theTages inEtruscan mythology, born from plowing the earth.[8] It likely refers to the ease with which plants of this genus come out each year either by the seeds produced in the previous year, or by the stems which regrow from the stump already in place.[9]
The common name in English, marigold, is derived fromMary's gold in honor of theVirgin Mary, a name first applied to a similar plant native to Europe,Calendula officinalis.[10][11][12]
The most commonly cultivated varieties ofTagetes are known variously as African marigolds (usually referring to cultivars and hybrids ofTagetes erecta), or French marigolds (usually referring to hybrids and cultivars ofTagetes patula, many of which were developed in France). The so-called signet marigolds are hybrids derived mostly fromTagetes tenuifolia.[13]
Depending on the species, marigold foliage has a musky, pungent scent, though some varieties have been bred to be scentless. Due to antibacterialthiophenes exuded by the roots,Tagetes should not be planted near anylegume crop.[14] Some of the perennial species aredeer-,rabbit-,rodent- andjavelina orpeccary-resistant.[14]
T. minuta (khakibush or huacatay), originally from South America, has been used as a source ofessential oil for theperfume industry known as tagette or "marigold oil", and as a flavourant in the food and tobacco industries. It is commonly cultivated inSouth Africa, where the species is also a usefulpioneer plant in the reclamation of disturbed land.[15]
The florets ofTagetes erecta are rich in the orange-yellowcarotenoidlutein and are used as afood colour (INS number E161b) in the European Union for foods such as pasta, vegetable oil, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, baked goods, confectionery, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, citrus juice and mustard. In the United States, however, the powders and extracts are only approved as colorants in animal feed.
The speciesTagetes lucida, known aspericón, is used to prepare a sweetish,anise-flavored medicinal tea in Mexico. It is also used as a culinary herb in many warm climates, as a substitute for tarragon, and offered in the nursery as "Texas tarragon" or "Mexican mint marigold".[16]
Tagetes minuta, native to southern South America, is a tall, upright marigold plant with small flowers used as a culinary herb in Peru, Ecuador, and parts of Chile and Bolivia, where it is called by the Incan termhuacatay. The paste is used to make the popular potato dish calledocopa. Having both "green" and "yellow/orange" notes, the taste and odor of freshT. minuta is like a mixture of sweetbasil,tarragon,mint andcitrus.It is also used as a medicinal tea for gastrointestinal complaints and specifically against nematodes.[17][18]
InUkraine,chornobryvtsi (T. erecta,T. patula and the signet marigold,l. tenuifolia) are regarded as one of the national symbols, and are often mentioned in songs, poems and tales.[21]
^"Genus:Tagetes L."Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2011-01-06. Archived fromthe original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved2011-07-14.
^abSoule, J. A. 1996. Infrageneric Systematics of Tagetes. Pgs. 435-443 in Compositae: Systematics, Proceedings of the International Compositae Conference, Kew 1994, Vol. I, Eds. D.J.N. Hind & H.J. Beentje.
^Cicevan R, Al Hassan M, Sestras AF, Prohens J, Vicente O, Sestras RE, Boscaiu M. (2016) Screening for drought tolerance in cultivars of the ornamental genus Tagetes (Asteraceae) PeerJ 4:e2133https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2133
^Weaver, David K.; Wells, Carl D.; Dunkel, Florence V.; Bertsch, Wolfgang; Sing, Sharlene E.; Sriharan, Shobha (1 December 1994). "Insecticidal Activity of Floral, Foliar, and Root Extracts of Tagetes minuta (Asterales: Asteraceae) Against Adult Mexican Bean Weevils (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)".Journal of Economic Entomology.87 (6):1718–1725.doi:10.1093/jee/87.6.1718.
^Soule, J. A. 1993. Tagetes minuta: A Potential New Herb from South America. Pgs. 649-654 in New Crops, Proceedings of the New Crops Conference 1993, Eds. J. Janick & J. E. Simon.
^Gupta, Y .C.; Y. D. Sharma; N. S. Pathania (2002-09-09)."Let the flower of gods bless you".The Tribune, Chandigarh, India (web site). Retrieved2007-09-01.
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