African marigold

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• African marigold
• Aztec marigold
• French marigold
• saffron marigold
• American marigold
• big marigold
• marigold
• Mexican Marigold

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Tagetes erecta f. pleniflora
• Tagetes elongata
• Tagetes corymbosa
• Tagetes heterocarpha
• Tagetes patula
• Tagetes remotiflora
• Tagetes patula aurantiaca
• Tagetes patula nanissima

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Following its placement in the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Asterales, it is a member of the Asteraceae family. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Tagetes.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Tagetes erecta, exhibits a specific geographical presence across several European regions. In Northern Europe, it can be found growing in Great Britain and Ireland. The species also extends its reach further north into Norway. Moving into Middle Europe, the plant is documented within the borders of Austria. Additionally, its distribution includes Belgium, completing its range across these selected territories.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Tagetes erecta is characterized by a broad adaptive capacity across diverse altitudinal gradients, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) to a maximum elevation of 3000 m AMSL, with a mean elevational preference of approximately 700 m AMSL. This species frequently colonizes disturbed environments, commonly finding suitable habitats along roadsides. In terms of its underground biological associations, it does not exhibit mycorrhizal dependencies, functioning without the presence of mycorrhiza.

Elevational range max:

3000 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

700 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

roadsides

Mycorrhiza :

no

Life history

The life history of Tagetes erecta is characterized by its status as an annual plant, meaning it completes its entire biological cycle—from germination to seed production—within a single growing season. In terms of its botanical life form, it is classified as a therophyte, a strategy where the plant survives unfavorable environmental conditions by producing seeds that remain dormant until favorable conditions return, effectively avoiding the stress of seasons through its ephemeral existence. This therophytic nature is consistent across its classification, defining its growth pattern as a plant that lives only for one season and relies on the rapid maturation of its reproductive structures to ensure the continuity of the species.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Tagetes erecta is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. It is a terrestrial plant that functions as an independent organism, neither acting as a parasite nor an epiphyte. The plant is self-supporting rather than a climber or vine, maintaining an erect shoot orientation. In terms of stature, it exhibits significant variability in height, with individual plants ranging from a minimum of 0.1 m to a maximum of 1.5 m, maintaining an average plant height of approximately 0.55 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.5 m

Plant height mean:

0.55 m

Plant height min:

0.1 m

Shoot orientation :

erect

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Tagetes erecta is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its carbon fixation processes and metabolic efficiency in temperate to tropical environments. Morphologically, the plant features pinnate leaf forms, providing a specialized surface area for gas exchange and light interception. It does not exhibit succulence, maintaining standard cellular water storage mechanisms typical of non-succulent herbaceous species, and it does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on the availability of nitrogen within the soil substrate for its growth and development.

Leaf form :

pinnate

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Tagetes erecta is primarily a sexual process, as asexual reproduction is noted to be absent. The flowering period typically commences in July and extends through September, featuring flowers that exhibit a brown coloration and reach a width ranging from 4.5 cm to 5 cm. The plant utilizes a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on insects to facilitate fertilization. Following successful pollination, the plant produces fruits with a mean length of 1 cm and a mean width of 0.1 cm. The resulting seeds are characterized by a consistent length of 10 mm and a width of 1 mm, with an average seed mass of approximately 0.0031583335 g (ranging from a minimum of 0.0025 g to a maximum of 0.004 g). Dispersal of these seeds is achieved through a hydrochorous syndrome, utilizing water as the primary medium for distribution.

Dispersal syndrome :

hydrochorous

Flower colour :

brown

Flower width max:

5 cm

Flower width min:

4.5 cm

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Sep

Fruit length mean:

1 cm

Fruit width mean:

0.1 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Seed length mean:

10 mm

Seed mass max:

0.004 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0031583335 g

Seed mass min:

0.0025 g

Seed width mean:

1 mm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Tagetes erecta has 3 reported plant parts identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include flower, leaf, root.

Flower

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Natural product research
4. Pharmaceutical biology
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Leaf

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Root

1. The Journal of antibiotics

Chemicals

Tagetes erecta has 98 reported phytochemicals identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Lutein, Carotenoids, Flavonoids, Patuletin, caffeic acid.

Lutein

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. BMC plant biology
5. Protoplasma

Carotenoids

1. Plant molecular biology
2. Scientific reports
3. BMC plant biology
4. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
5. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Flavonoids

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutrients
3. Food science & nutrition

Patuletin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Pharmaceutical biology

caffeic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Natural product research

linoleic acid

1. BMC plant biology
2. Scientific reports
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

quercetin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
3. Natural product research

Carotenoid

1. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine
2. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands)

D-Limonene

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports

Kaempferitrin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Activities

Tagetes erecta has 350 reported activities identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Analgesic, Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antimalarial.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC plant biology
3. Journal of the science of food and agriculture
4. Natural product research
5. Nutrients

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Natural product research

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine

Antimalarial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Infection and drug resistance

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Neuroprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Nutrients

(-)-Chronotropic

1. Dr. Duke

(-)-Inotropic

1. Dr. Duke

Conditions

Tagetes erecta has 32 reported investigations on conditions identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cardiovascular diseases, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Plasmodium falciparum, Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Cardiovascular diseases

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Escherichia coli

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Klebsiella pneumoniae

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Plasmodium falciparum

1. Infection and drug resistance

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Staphylococcus aureus

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Age-related macular degeneration

1. Journal of natural products

Aging

1. Nutrients

Analgesic

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Antioxidant

1. Journal of the science of food and agriculture

Preparations

Tagetes erecta has 15 reported preparations identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include methanol extract, Crude extracts and fractions, EO, Hydroalcoholic extracts, Mixture of Total Extracts of Tagetes erecta and Ocimum basilicum.

Methanol extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Pharmaceutical biology

Crude extracts and fractions

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Eo

1. Life (Basel, Switzerland)

Hydroalcoholic extracts

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Mixture of total extracts of tagetes erecta and ocimum basilicum

1. International journal of molecular sciences

Polar extracts

1. Pharmaceutical biology

Tagetes erecta extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Dichloromethane extract

1. Infection and drug resistance

Floral extract

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Fractions

1. Pharmaceutical biology