October 06, 2023 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186469405
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186469405
Matricaria discoidea or Pineapple weed is from the Ateracae family and is also known as wild chamomile. It is an invasive weed that is said to have originated in Kodiak only to flourish all over the state. It stands about 6 inches tall but can be up to 12 inches, a leafy plant with a yellow cone-like head. It can be eliminated by weeding, though it may take several attempts. Surprisingly there is not much literature on this little weed for how common and widespread it is. In my area is grows along road sides, along houses or buildings and always out of gravel. From what I have seen gravel/dirt is the common denominator, there doesn’t appear to be a preferred habitat such as swamp, wetlands, drainage areas, tundra, etc. As a matter of fact, I’ve been told that animal urine helps it to grow and spread. I am not sure if that is true, but it is PLENTIFUL in the area where my dog uses the bathroom.
According to the Alutiiq Museum pineapple has a wide variety of medicinal uses. These are all internal and include help to new mothers by cleansing their systems, producing milk and even cleaning baby’s system via milk. It can be used to clear out baby’s black meconium stools if a small is given directly to baby. Aside from maternal benefits, pineapple weed can be used as a laxative, relaxant, sleeping aid and cold relief. I believe this to be a reliable source and most of this I have heard passed down via word of mouth.
Pineapple Weed, wild chamomile. Alutiiq Museum. (n.d.). https://alutiiqmuseum.org/medicinal-plants/pineapple-weed
Bauder, P., Bella, E., Heutte, T., Lapina, I., & McKee, C. (n.d.). Invasive Plants of Alaska.
Comentarios
What an interesting weed! I was first intrigued by the name "pineapple weed" because of how fun it sounds. Very tropical! I am pleasantly surprised to know it has some very fascinating uses particularly related to nursing mothers. There are so many plants like this one that I would never think of as having any use or purpose, especially if they are such resilient growers and a general nuisance to those who try to remove them. Honestly, I find these little yellow weeds quite cute and I am glad to know a little bit more about them. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Amy;
I love pineapple weed as I have always known it and have had a good relationship with it throughout my life. When I lived in California as a child, my mother used to pick it along the road, wash it well, and use the heads in tea. Then she would mix the tea with warm milk for us kids to sleep by. When I moved to Ireland, I found them there, too and did the same thing for my children, going so far as to collect and dry them for the winter use. I have always found them along dry, dusty roads where the land doesn't grow much else. Interesting, I looked it up, and it says it came through Asia over the Bering Land Bridge to North America and now is found on nearly all the continents. Quiet a hardy little plant. Thank you for introducing such a lovely weed whose stature is underestimated.
Gayleen
Nice job, Amy, drawing our attention to a plant many of us probably see all the time, but don't take much note of!
I have a few quick comments about MLA Format: first, there were no parenthetical citations included in your write-up to indicate
where the facts you shared came from. Second, the time you used a signal phrase -- "According to the Alutiiq Museum" -- the signal phrase itself does not connect directly to the entry in the Works Cited. Remember that the information in the signal phrase or parenthetical citation has to connect to the first words of the corresponding entry. Third, one of your sources is ambiguous. The second one you include does not include formatting to let your reader know if it is a book, a pamphlet, an article, or a web source. Lastly, you do not include the "Accessed" information at the end of your web source, and remember that that always needs to be included for this class.
As always, I'm here to help with MLA format, even with how to use our website source, so no one in class should hesitate to reach out with questions, or to set up an appointment to go over anything "in person." Everyone should correct their MLA for the final few weeks we'll be in iNaturalist. I've been offering explicit feedback to everyone about MLA both in Blackboard and here on iNaturalist, and I'll have to start deducting points for incorrect formatting showing up in our iNaturalist for our final few weeks of work in this platform.
Best,
Prof Brooek
Hi, Amy! I am super glad to see a plant I can recognize off the bat for once. We have these all over certain parts of Juneau and I have always found them fascinating but I had no clue they were invasive to the area. Funnily enough though, I was able to identify this weed as one that I knew from the book I mentioned in my weekly observation post, Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants: Alaska, Canada, & Pacific Northwest Rainforest, Volume 1–An Introductory Pocket Trail Guide by Carol R. Biggs–the author writes that Matricaria matricarioides have a “fragrant pineapple scent…with a fresh, pleasant taste” and are in the same family as sunflowers (Biggs 72). Thanks for your great post and I look forward to seeing a few more of your future observations!
Biggs, Carol R. Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants: Alaska, Canada & Pacific Northwest Rainforest. Vol. 1, Carol Biggs’ Alaska Nature Connection, 2001.
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