The marigold flower (Tagetes erecta), known as the flower of the dead, it is a herbaceous species of the family Asteraceae. Etymologically, the word cempasúchil derives from the Nahuatl expression cempoalli, which expresses the number twenty, alluding to its 20 petals.
This species is native to Mexico, where it is found in the wild in the towns of Chiapas, Jalisco, Mexico, Morelos, San Luis Potosí, Puebla, Sinaloa, Oaxaca, Tlaxcala and Veracruz. It has also been introduced in South America, Africa, Asia and Australia..
Due to its wide distribution, each region gives it a particular name, being known as carnation, African carnation or Indian carnation. It is also known as Chinese carnation, China carnation, Moorish carnation, Moorish carnation, Turkish carnation, damascene, Indian rose, marigold or tagete.
In Mexico it is known as cempasúchil, where it is cultivated due to its aromatic yellow or orange flowers used during the Day of the Dead celebrations. Indeed, this ancestral practice carried out by Mexican growers has favored the conservation of their natural germplasm throughout the region..
At a global level, marigold flowers are a source of colorants used in the food, poultry and dye industries, mainly the pigment lutein. At present, in the USA, the European Union, Asia and South America, the flowers of Tagetes erecta they are sold in pots or cut flowers.
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The species Tagetes erecta It is a perennial herbaceous plant with an annual reproductive cycle that reaches 30-110 cm in height. Deep and taproot, it has a robust, broad and superficial secondary root system.
The tubular stem of herbaceous appearance and smooth or finely pubescent texture, has a striated or partially fissured surface. Fine resinous channels are distributed through the bark that emit a pleasant odor when compressed.
The compound leaves reach 18-22 cm long and contain 11-17 leaflets, being alternate at the end and opposite at the base. The 5 cm long by 1-2 cm wide folios are lanceolate, with an acuminate apex and slightly serrated edges..
The flowers appear in solitary inflorescences or are grouped in heads on a thin peduncle 10-15 cm long. In each head or capitulum there are 150 to 200 ray flowers, single or double, with 8-10 mm of lake and yellow or orange corollas..
The fruit is an achene 7-10 mm long, smooth or covered by fine angular rigid bristles, containing a single seed. This species reproduces by seeds and its flowering period is maintained during the summer and autumn seasons..
- Kingdom: Plantae.
- Division: Magnoliophyta.
- Class: Magnoliopsida.
- Order: Asterales.
- Family: Asteraceae.
- Subfamily: Asteroideae.
- Tribe: Tageteae.
- Gender: Tagetes.
- Species: Tagetes erecta L., 1753.
- Tagetes: the generic name derives from the God of Etruscan mythology Tages, divinity related to divination, the underworld and the afterlife.
- erect: Adjective of Latin origin that means "eguida".
- Cempasúchil comes from the Nahuatl language cempohualxochitl, where cempohuali means twenty, and xóchitl corresponds to flower. Indeed, it means twenty flowers or many flowers, since the number twenty is venerated by the Central American natives..
Tagetes erecta, marigold flower or flower of the dead is a native species of the Mesoamerican region, between Mexico and Central America. In Mexico, it is found in the wild in the states of Chiapas, Jalisco, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, Oaxaca and Veracruz.
Since ancient times, the Aztecs cultivated and collected wild flowers for ceremonial, decorative and medicinal purposes. Currently they are widely cultivated commercially from multiple genetically improved cultivars, such as ornamental plants or cut flowers..
The marigold flower grows in various tropical ecosystems, such as deciduous forests, thorn forests, Madrean pine-oak forests and cloud forests. It is naturally located associated with wild herbaceous plants or commercial crops in intervened areas, at altitude levels between 800-2,300 meters above sea level..
Its soil requirements are wide, from sandy to clay soils, which must be well drained and low in organic matter. A very fertile soil, tends to promote the production of foliage to the detriment of inflorescences.
This species requires full sun exposure. Grown under trees, tall shrubs, or shady conditions, it exhibits slow growth and incipient development. It is a plant that needs temperatures above 20º C, although it tolerates occasional temperatures between 10-15º C, but does not tolerate frost.
As a commercial crop, it requires frequent watering, every 2-3 days during the warm months, avoiding waterlogging of the land. During the winter, the irrigations are applied in a spaced manner, and if frequent rains occur, the irrigation is suspended..
Tagetes erecta It is native to Mexico, but it is found throughout the Central American and Caribbean countries. In fact, it is common in Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Ecuador and Bolivia.
In the wild, it is located in western Mexico and along the Balsa Depression or Balsas Basin. Area located in the Sierra Madre del Sur that includes the states of Jalisco, Guerrero, Mexico, Michoacán, Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Oaxaca.
It is a plant introduced and naturalized widely in pantropical areas, including Africa, Asia and Oceania, as a cut flower or raw material for making dyes. Among the countries that grow and trade outside their place of origin are India, China, South Africa, Zambia and Australia.
Cempasúchil is a crop that is easy to propagate, both by seed and by tender cuttings in early spring. In this regard, it is a species suitable for growing in pots, cut flower beds and in border gardening, rockery or flower beds..
This flower can be grown all year round under a greenhouse, but sowing is frequently started during the months of June-July. In this way, the harvest coincides with the celebration of the Day of the Dead, the first days of November..
For its cultivation it is essential to choose viable, healthy and fresh seeds, of the variety that you want to propagate. Sowing requires the use of a fertile and well-drained substrate, with a loamy or sandy-loam texture, properly disinfected..
The initial sowing is done in polyethylene bags, in agricultural foamy seedlings or on coconut fiber slabs. The seeds are broadcast by broadcast in the planting bags, or 2-3 seeds can be placed for each germination point.
Maintaining adequate humidity and temperature conditions, the seeds begin their germination 7-10 days after sowing. When the plant emerges, the two cotyledons are distinguished, and later the first pair of true leaves is formed.
This is the right time to start the fertilization of the crop, being recommended for this stage to add a nutrient solution. In this regard, the dose of the nutritive solution is applied in a fractional way, in order to avoid the "burning" of the seedlings..
The seedlings are ready for transplantation when they are 12-15 cm tall, or 3-4 pairs of leaves. The transplant is carried out in polyethylene bags with a loam substrate, or seed beds under a greenhouse, with good drainage and ample lighting..
The seedlings are extracted from the germinator with the help of a special tool to avoid physical damage to the roots. In the case of agricultural foamy cubes, they are separated individually and placed directly at the final planting site.
The seedlings are placed with the help of a clean and disinfected agricultural tool, 4-6 cm deep and 30-40 cm apart. In this stage, continuous watering and the application of a nutrient solution are required to strengthen the crop..
During the cultivation establishment it is recommended to prune lower leaves, as well as leaves with physical or pathological damage. In fact, this is a practice that contributes to the vigor and strength of the plant, improving its development and flowering..
When the plants reach 6 nodes or 20-30 cm in height, pinching or topping is carried out. This practice consists of removing the terminal bud, in order to promote the development of lateral branches.
A second clamping is usually carried out at 35-50 days on the branches initially developed from the first sprouting. In this way, the number of branches is increased and as a consequence, more flower buds will be obtained..
During the flowering stage it is advisable to prune wilted, diseased or old flowers, to avoid damage to neighboring flowers. Pruning is done on the peduncle at the base of the stem, using a sharp and disinfected instrument..
Irrigation must be intense in order to keep the substrate moist, without causing waterlogging. In this regard, manual or automated irrigation can be applied, by sprinkling, mowing tape or "spot"..
In this type of cultivation, fertilization is carried out through a nutrient solution added to the irrigation water. The amount of fertilizer is applied based on the requirements of the crop, maintaining a pH of 5.5-6.5 and electrical conductivity of 3 mS / cm.
Depending on the environment, location and type of substrate, the ideal amount per plant is 450 ml of water per day. In high temperature conditions, it is recommended to increase the amount of water and carry out sprinkler irrigation to cool the environment..
The variety of the crop, environmental factors and management are determining conditions to start cutting and harvesting the flowers. The harvest starts 90-120 days after sowing.
Mature flowers of commercial value are cut at ground level using clean, disinfected scissors. In fact, this activity is carried out at weekly intervals (7-8 days), during the period that the harvest lasts (90-120 days).
The photochemical analysis of marigold flowers has made it possible to determine the presence of different carotenoids, specifically the pigment lutein. These metabolites provide this plant with multiple therapeutic properties used in traditional Mexican medicine..
The presence of specialized glands along the stem, leaves and flowers, gives it a strong aromatic smell that gives it healing properties. In fact, in the cultural tradition, it is considered a "hot" crop used to alleviate physical and supernatural diseases..
In this regard, in traditional medicine marigold is used to heal popular ailments such as fright, evil eye or rennet. For the ancestral culture of indigenous peoples, these sufferings are the consequence of divine punishment or are caused by supernatural forces..
Lutein is a natural pigment used for the prevention and treatment of age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataracts. For this reason, it is advisable to use natural dyes based on lutein in food preparation, instead of using chemical dyes..
In this context, the greater intensity of the orange color is related to a higher pigment content. Indeed, scientific evidence shows the effectiveness of these pigments to prevent diseases associated with old age, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, immune deficiencies and cancer..
Through extraction processes with organic solvents and saponification, the pigment lutein is obtained from marigold flowers. During the process, an oleoresin containing carotenoids, fatty acids (palmitic, myristic), and lutein esters is initially extracted..
From these primary compounds free xanthophylls are obtained, which yield 80-93% lutein, 5-10% zeaxanthin and 5-15% carotenoids (cryptosanthin, violaxanthin). Natural pigments used as yellow dye in the food industry during the production of pasta, butter, margarine, vegetable oil, biscuits, bakery and beverages.
Natural pigments (luteins, xanthophylls, zeaxanthins) are added in the production of concentrated feeds for poultry and layers. This supplement is added in order to improve the appearance of the skin of the benefited chickens and increase the color of the eggs..
The marigold root contains various irritating oils, such as α - Tiertihenyl, which gives it nematicidal and insecticidal qualities due to its irritating odor. Indeed, marigolds are used to control lice and ticks, as well as the tomato nematode Pratylenchus penetrans.
There are various legends related to this representative flower traditionally used in religious ceremonies and on the altars of the deceased by Mexican natives..
One of them tells that there were two lovers, Xóchitl and Huitzílin, who offered flowers to the Sun God Tonatiuh, professing their infinite love beyond death..
Unfortunately the lovers were separated by the war. Huitzílin went to fight for his people and died in combat. Xóchitl, in deep pain, begged the sun father Tonatiuh to take her away with his unwavering love.
The God Tonatiuh, moved by the deep pain of the young woman, radiated a beam of light that when touching Xóchitl turned her into a flower. This flower of intense colors like the rays of the sun was touched in the center by a small hummingbird that represented Huitzílin.
At that precise moment, the flower unfolded in 20 petals of brilliant yellow colors and a pleasant pungent aroma. From there, one of the legends of the marigold flower or flower of the dead was born.
Another of the legends or ancestral stories points to a tradition of the population of Santa María Maninalco near Mexico City. When someone died, family members covered their graves with a small yellow flower called Tonalxochitl, which had the ability to keep warm in its petals..
The Mexicas, residents of Maninalco, adopted this ancient tradition, but they considered that the Tonalxochitl flower was very simple. Therefore, through natural selection they managed to transform this simple flower into a group of twenty flowers in a single button..
This new flower was known as marigold or flower of the dead. Being used to this day as an offering to adorn the funeral pantheons and the tombs of the deceased.
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