Calendula

Calendula is a genus of flowering plants, family Asteraceae, comprising about 15 to 20 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants, native to Europe, North Africa, Macaronesia, West Asia and the Western Himalayas, with a center of diversity in the Mediterranean region. Commonly called marigolds, a name also applied to other plant genera, Calendula genus name derives from Latin, referring to a little calendar, little clock or possibly little weather-glass, while the common name marigold comes from Mary gold, referencing the Virgin Mary, particularly for the most commonly cultivated and used species, Calendula officinalis, from which products labeled Calendula typically derive.