Abstract
The authors have observed the chromosome number of Mexican Tea (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.) and American Wormseed (Chenopodium ambrosioides L. var. anthelminticum A. GRAY), together with some other species of Chenopodium, and have studied on their cultivation, distillation, content of ascaridole, and morphology. Results obtained are summarized as follows:- 1. The authors have determined for the first time that the chromosome number of Mexican Tea is n=8, 16, and 24, and that of American Wormseed is n=32. 2. Diploid (n=8), hexaploid (n=16), and hexaploid (n=24) plant of Mexican Tea and American Wormseed (n=32) have morphologically each different characteristic features. 3. Chromosome number of some other species of Chenopodium observed by the authors is shown in Table 3, and it has been shown for the first time that their basic number is 8. 4. Ascaridole content in the essential oil of Mexican Tea was 20∼60%. Thus, it has been shown for the first time that Mexican Tea contains ascaridole. Some lines of Mexican Tea have higher yield of grass and higher content of essential oil or ascaridole rather than American Wormseed. 5. No relation between chromosome number and content of essential oil or ascaridole was observed.
