Roman Chamomile, a perennial herbaceous species, is a bushy and strongly aromatic plant with a highly branched and tomentose stem, presenting a creeping or erect growth habit. The leaves are alternate, pinnate, and lanceolate. The flowers, gathered in solitary flower heads, are borne on long peduncles. The flower heads consist of white ligulate flowers on the outside and yellow tubular flowers in the center. In cultivated types, the flower heads are double, with multiple rows of ligulate flowers, completely replacing the yellow tubular ones. In this case, propagation is carried out through division of the clump. The flower heads of Roman Chamomile are larger compared to those of Common Chamomile. Its flowering period occurs from mid-May to mid-August approximately. It has a fibrous root system, and the fruit is a small achene. The whole plant emits a scent similar to that of apples. The name "Anthemis" comes from Greek and means "small flower." The term "Roman" or "noble" does not refer to the plant's origin but rather denotes the high-quality of the species.

The flower heads are arranged on frames in very thin layers and dried in the shade or inside drying rooms. After drying, the product is sorted, conventionally divided into first quality, for large and perfectly white flower heads, and second quality, for smaller and less perfectly white flower heads.

The essential oil is extracted through steam distillation of the flowering tops. The quantity of essential oil contained in the dried flower heads ranges from 0.6% to 2%, as it varies significantly during the flowering period and tends to decrease with the opening of the flowers. The obtained essence has a characteristic blue color, which tends to vary to yellowish-green. The essential oil of Roman Chamomile, unlike that extracted from Common Chamomile, contains scarce azulene and lacks bisabolol. However, the essential oil of Roman Chamomile is considered more valuable than the common variety and is therefore more widely used in perfumery and liquor production