About Tagetes minuta L.
Tagetes minuta L. is a species of marigold that reaches a mature height between 0.6 and 2 meters. Oil glands located all across the above-ground parts of the plant contain oils that can irritate human skin, and these oils are reported to cause photodermatitis in some cases. Humans have consumed Tagetes minuta in a variety of forms since pre-Columbian times. Dried leaves of the plant can be used as a seasoning, and huacatay paste made from it is an ingredient in ocopa, a popular Peruvian potato dish. Herbal tea can be brewed using Tagetes minuta leaves. An extract from the plant called "Marigold oil" is used in the perfume, tobacco, and soft drink industries. Beyond food-related uses, the plant can be processed to create dye, grown as a green manure crop to produce biomass, and used as a bio-fumigant to control certain species of nematodes.
