Chrysanthemum florists

Courtney-Gutterson, N. et al.. Modification of flower color in florists chrysanthemum-production of a white-flowering variety through molecular-genetics. Biotechnology, 12, 268, 1994. 

A female florist from North Germany, who ran a flower shop from 1954 to 1966 had to quit her job because of contact allergy to chrysanthemums and primrose. After a further 12 years she started to suffer occasionally from redness of the pharynx and stomachache after drinking tea prepared from yarrow and camomile. Skin tests were positive to chrysanthemum with cross-reactions to sunflower, arnica, camomile. 

Some people, especially florists and gardeners affected by the Compositae plants suffer from contact dermatitis, known as "Chrysanthemum allergy" or "Compositae dermatitis" in general. Main source of this allergy is the attachment of the airborne plant particles to the skin [167]. On the other hand, Guin and Skidmore has reported that contact dermatitis to Compositae plants can be confused with photosensitivity or atopic eczema [168]. However, these plants are still found to be an important factor in the patients with summer exacerbation of dermatitis, even without photosensitivity [169]. 

This same compound can be used to retard the development of both vegetative and reproductive axillary shoots if it is applied at a time when the axillary meristems are preferentially more susceptible than the terminal meristem. Work is currently in progress to evaluate this compound as a partial substitute for hand removal of undesired lateral flower buds from chrysanthemums. Estimates have been made that the hand-labor costs to remove floral disbuds from a 100-foot bed of standard mums is at least 24-40. It is expected that the chemical can be used in such a way that at least 50% of the disbudding operation can be accomplished chemically at a substantial savings in labor cost to the florist. 

Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema X cultivar) or the florist s chrysanthemum (one should always test to the actual plants the patient contacts if the history is positive)... 

Compositae dermatitis was covered in more detail in the first section. Farmers are perhaps more likely to become allergic to weeds, while florists often break out to chrysanthemum [357, 358] and other flowering species. Many such patients experience multiple sensitivities, either as a concomitant or cross-reaction [157], and sensitivity can be severe [6]. Gardeners (or perhaps more accurately, groundskeepers [315]) represented the occupational cases of dandelion dermatitis in one series. 

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