Artemisia (plant) Totally Explained

Everything about Artemisia Plant totally explained

Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200-400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It comprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. They grow in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, usually in dry or semi-dry habitats. The fern-like leaves of many species are covered with white hairs. Some botanists split the genus into several genera, but DNA analysis (Watson et al. 2002) doesn't support the maintenance of the genera Crossostephium, Filifolium, Neopallasia, Seriphidium, and Sphaeromeria; three other segregate genera Stilnolepis, Elachanthemum, and Kaschgaria are maintained by this evidence.
Common names used for several species include wormwood, mugwort, sagebrush and sagewort, while a few species have unique names, notably Tarragon A. dracunculus and Southernwood A. abrotanum. Occasionally some of the species are called sages, causing confusion with the Salvia sages in the family Lamiaceae. Artemisia species are used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species. See List of Lepidoptera that feed on Artemisia.

Cultivation and uses

The aromatic leaves of many species of Artemisia are medicinal, and some are used for flavouring. Most species have an extremely bitter taste. A. dracunculus (Tarragon) is widely used as a herb, particularly important in French cuisine. Artemisia absinthium (Absinth Wormwood) was used to repel fleas and moths, and in brewing (wormwood beer, wormwood wine). The aperitif vermouth (derived from the German word Wermut, "wormwood") is a wine flavored with aromatic herbs, but originally with wormwood. The highly potent spirit absinthe, also contains wormwood. Wormwood has been used medicinally as a tonic, stomachic, febrifuge and anthelmintic. Artemisia arborescens (Tree Wormwood, or Sheeba in Arabic) is a very bitter herb indigenous to the Middle East that's used in tea, usually with mint. It may have some hallucinogenic properties.
   Within such religious practicies as Wicca, both Wormwood and Mugwort are believed to have multiple effects on the psychic abilities of the practitioner. Because of the power believed to be inherent in certain herbs of the genus Artemisia, many believers cultivate the plants in a "moon garden".
   The beliefs surrounding this genus are founded upon the strong association between the herbs of the genus Artemisia and the moon goddess Artemis, who is believed to hold these powers. She is known also by Diana, Selene, and Phoebe. In Hellenistic culture, Artemis was a goddess of the hunt, and protector of the forest and children.
   It is also said that the genus Artemisia (which includes over 400 plants) may be named after an ancient botanist. Artemisia was the wife and sister of the Greek/Persian King Mausolus from the name of whose tomb we get the word mausoleum. Artemisia, who ruled for three years after the king's death, was a botanist and medical researcher, and died in 350 B.C. .
   The bitterness of the plant led to its use by wet-nurses for weaning infants from the breast, as in this speech by Shakespeare from Romeo and Juliet Act I, Scene 3:
ť Nurse: ...

   :And she [Juliet] was wean'd, – I never shall forget it, – ť :Of all the days of the year, upon that day:

   :For I'd then laid wormwood to my dug, ť :...

A few species are grown as ornamental plants, the fine-textured ones used for clipped bordering. All grow best in free-draining sandy soil, unfertilized, and in full sun.
   Artemisinin (from Chinese wormwood, Artemisia annua) is the active ingredient in the anti-malarial combination therapy 'Coartem', produced by Novartis and the WHO.

Artemisia in popular culture

Artemisia has been mentioned and used in popular culture for centuries. As few examples are listed below.

Shakespeare often refers to wormwood in Hamlet.
Wormwood (Apsinthos in the Greek text) is the "name of the star" in the Book of Revelation (8:11) (kai to onoma tou asteros legetai ho Apsinthos) that John the Evangelist envisions as cast by the angel and falling into the waters, making them undrinkably bitter. Outside the Book of Revelation, there are up to eight further references in the Bible showing that wormwood was a common herb of the area and its awful taste was known, as a drinkable preparation applied for specific reasons.
Wormwood is a junior devil in The Screwtape Letters, a novel by C. S. Lewis on human temptation. Miss Wormwood is the name of Calvin's teacher in Calvin and Hobbes, a former daily comic strip by Bill Watterson. This character is named after the Screwtape Letters character.
In Russian culture, the fact that Artemisia species are commonly used in medicine, and their bitter taste is associated with medicinal effects, has caused wormwood to be seen as a symbol for a "bitter truth" that must be accepted by a deluded (often self-deluded) person. This symbol has acquired a particular poignancy in modern Russian poetry, which often deals with the loss of illusory beliefs in various ideologies.
Fort Collins, Colorado based New Belgium brewery produced a Spring Ale called "Springboard" containing Wormwood, Lycium. and Schisandra.

Selected species

Artemisia abrotanum L. – Southernwood, Southern Wormwood, Abrotanum, Lemon Plant

Artemisia absinthium L. – Grand Wormwood, used in Absinthe

Artemisia adamsii Besser

Artemisia afra – African Wormwood, African Sagebrush

Artemisia alaskana Rydb. – Alaska Wormwood

Artemisia alba

Artemisia alcockii Pamp.

Artemisia aleutica Hultén – Aleutian Wormwood

Artemisia amoena Poljakov

Artemisia annua L. – Annual Wormwood, Sweet Sagewort, Sweet Annie

Artemisia araxina Takht.

Artemisia arborescens - Tree Wormwood

Artemisia arbuscula Nutt. – Little Sagebrush, Low Sagebrush, Black Sage

Artemisia arctica Less. – Boreal Sagebrush

Artemisia arctisibirica Korobkov

Artemisia arenaria DC.

Artemisia arenicola Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia argentea (Madeira wormwood ?)

Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & Vaniot

Artemisia argyrophylla Ledeb.

Artemisia armeniaca Lam.

Artemisia aschurbajewii C.G.Aro

Artemisia australis Less. – Oahu Wormwood

Artemisia austriaca Jacq.

Artemisia avarica Minat.

Artemisia badhysi Krasch. & Lincz. ex Poljakov

Artemisia balchanorum Krasch.

Artemisia baldshuanica Krasch. & Zaprjag.

Artemisia bargusinensis Spreng.

Artemisia bejdemaniae Leonova

Artemisia biennis Willd. – Biennial Sagewort, Biennial Wormwood

Artemisia bigelovii Gray – Bigelow Sage, Bigelow Sagebrush

Artemisia borealis Pall.

Artemisia borotalensis Poljakov

Artemisia bottnica Lundstr. ex Kindb.

Artemisia caespitosa Ledeb.

Artemisia californica Less. – Coastal Sagebrush, California Sagebrush

Artemisia camelorum Krasch.

Artemisia campestris L. – Field Wormwood

Artemisia cana Pursh – Silver Sagebrush

Artemisia canadensis – Canada Wormwood

Artemisia capillaris Thunb. – Capillary Wormwood, Yerba Lenna Yesca

Artemisia carruthii Wood ex Carruth. – Carruth Sagewort, Carruth's Sagebrush

Artemisia caucasica Willd.

Artemisia chamaemelifolia Vill.

Artemisia cina O. Berg & C. F. Schmidt – Santonica, Levant Wormseed

Artemisia ciniformis Krasch. & Popov ex Poljakov

Artemisia coarctata (???)

Artemisia commutata Besser

Artemisia compacta Fisch. ex DC.

Artemisia cuspidata Krasch.

Artemisia czukavinae Filatova

Artemisia daghestanica Krasch. & Poretzky

Artemisia demissa Krasch.

Artemisia depauperata Krasch.

Artemisia deserti Krasch.

Artemisia desertorum Spreng.

Artemisia diffusa Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia dimoana Popov

Artemisia dolosa Krasch.

Artemisia douglasiana Bess. – Douglas' Mugwort, Douglas' Sagewort

Artemisia dracunculus L. – Tarragon

Artemisia dubia Wall.

Artemisia dubjanskyana Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia dumosa Poljakov

Artemisia elongata Filatova & Ladygina

Artemisia eremophila Krasch. & Butkov ex Poljakov

Artemisia eriantha Ten.

Artemisia feddei H.Lév. & Vaniot

Artemisia fedtschenkoana Krasch.

Artemisia ferganensis Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia filifolia Torr. – Sand Sagebrush, Sand Sagebush, Silvery Wormwood

Artemisia flava Jurtzev

Artemisia franserioides Greene – Ragweed Sagebrush

Artemisia freyniana (Pamp.) Krasch.

Artemisia frigida Willd. – Fringed Sagebrush, Fringed Sagewort, Prairie Sagewort

Artemisia fulvella Filatova & Ladygina

Artemisia furcata Bieb. – Forked Wormwood

Artemisia galinae Ikonn.

Artemisia glabella Kar. & Kir.

Artemisia glacialis – Glacier Wormwood, Alpine Mugwort

Artemisia glanduligera Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia glauca Pall. ex Willd.

Artemisia glaucina Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia globosa Krasch.

Artemisia globularia Cham. ex Bess. – Purple Wormwood

Artemisia glomerata Ledeb. – Cudweed Sagewort, Pacific Alpine Wormwood

Artemisia gmelinii Webb ex Stechmann – Gmelin's Wormwood

Artemisia gnaphalodes Nutt.

Artemisia gorjaevii Poljakov

Artemisia gracilescens Krasch. & Iljin

Artemisia gurganica (Krasch.) Filatova

Artemisia gypsacea Krasch., Popov & Lincz. ex Poljakov

Artemisia halodendron Turcz. ex Besser

Artemisia halophila Krasch.

Artemisia heptapotamica Poljakov

Artemisia hippolyti Butkov

Artemisia hololeuca M.Bieb. ex Besser

Artemisia hulteniana Vorosch.

Artemisia incana (L.) Druce

Artemisia insulana Krasch.

Artemisia insularis Kitam.

Artemisia integrifolia L.

Artemisia issykkulensis Poljakov

Artemisia jacutica Drobow

Artemisia japonica Thunb.

Artemisia juncea Kar. & Kir.

Artemisia karatavica Krasch. & Abolin ex Poljakov

Artemisia karavajevii Leonova

Artemisia kaschgarica Krasch.

Artemisia kauaiensis (Skottsberg) Skottsberg – Kauai Wormwood

Artemisia keiskeana Miq.

Artemisia kelleri Krasch.

Artemisia kemrudica Krasch.

Artemisia knorringiana Krasch.

Artemisia kochiiformis Krasch. & Lincz. ex Poljakov

Artemisia koidzumii Nakai

Artemisia kopetdaghensis Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia korovinii Poljakov

Artemisia korshinskyi Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia krushiana Bess. – Krush's Wormwood

Artemisia kulbadica Boiss. & Buhse

Artemisia kuschakewiczii C.G.A.Winkl.

Artemisia laciniata Willd. – Siberian Wormwood

Artemisia laciniatiformis Kom.

Artimisia lactiflora

Artemisia lagocephala (Besser) DC.

Artemisia lagopus Fisch. ex Besser

Artemisia latifolia Ledeb.

Artemisia ledebouriana Besser

Artemisia lehmanniana Bunge

Artemisia leontopodioides Fisch. ex Besser

Artemisia lessingiana Besser

Artemisia leucodes Schrenk

Artemisia leucophylla (Turcz. ex Besser) Pamp.

Artemisia leucotricha Krasch. ex Ladygina

Artemisia lindleyana Bess. – Columbia River Wormwood

Artemisia lipskyi Poljakov

Artemisia littoricola Kitam.

Artemisia longifolia Nutt. – Longleaf Sagebrush, Longleaf Wormwood

Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. – Gray Sagewort, Prairie Sage, White Sagebrush

Artemisia macilenta (Maxim.) Krasch.

Artemisia macrantha Ledeb.

Artemisia macrobotrys Ledeb. – Yukon Wormwood

Artemisia macrocephala Jacq. ex Besser

Artemisia macrorhiza Turcz.

Artemisia maracandica Bunge

Artemisia maritima L. – Sea Wormwood

Artemisia marschalliana Spreng.

Artemisia martjanovii Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia mauiensis (Gray) Skottsberg – Maui Wormwood

Artemisia maximovicziana Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia medioxima Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia messerschmidtiana Besser

Artemisia michauxiana Bess. – Michaux Sagebrush, Michaux's Wormwood

Artemisia mogoltavica Poljakov

Artemisia mongolica (Besser) Fisch. ex Nakai

Artemisia mongolorum Krasch.

Artemisia montana (Nakai) Pamp.

Artemisia mucronulata Poljakov

Artemisia multisecta Leonova

Artemisia namanganica Poljakov

Artemisia nesiotica Raven – Island Sagebrush

Artemisia nigricans Filatova & Ladygina

Artemisia norvegica Fries – Norwegian Mugwort

Artemisia nova A. Nels. – Black Sagebrush

Artemisia obscura Pamp.

Artemisia obtusiloba Ledeb.

Artemisia oelandica (Besser) Krasch.

Artemisia olchonensis Leonova

Artemisia oliveriana J. Gay ex Besser

Artemisia opulenta Pamp.

Artemisia packardiae J. Grimes & Ertter – Packard's Wormwood, Succor Creek Sagebrush

Artemisia pallasiana Fisch. ex Besser

Artemisia palmeri Gray – San Diego Sagewort

Artemisia palustris L.

Artemisia pannosa Krasch.

Artemisia papposa Blake & Cronq. – Owyhee Sage, Owyhee Sagebrush

Artemisia parryi Gray – Parry's Wormwood

Artemisia pattersonii Gray – Patterson's Wormwood

Artemisia pectinata Pall.

Artemisia pedatifida Nutt. – Birdfoot Sagebrush

Artemisia pedemontana Balb.

Artemisia persica Boiss.

Artemisia pewzowii C.G.A.Winkl.

Artemisia phaeolepis Krasch.

Artemisia polysticha Poljakov

Artemisia pontica L. – Roman Wormwood, "Petite Absinthe" (used in Absinthe)

Artemisia porrecta Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia porteri Cronq. – Porter's Wormwood

Artemisia prasina Krasch. ex Poljak.

Artemisia princeps Pamp. – Japanese Mugwort, Yomogi

Artemisia proceriformis Krasch.

Artemisia prolixa Krasch. ex Poljak.

Artemisia punctigera Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia purshiana Besser

Artemisia pycnocephala (Less.) DC. – Beach Wormwood

Artemisia pycnorhiza Ledeb.

Artemisia pygmaea Gray – Pygmy Sagebrush

Artemisia quinqueloba Trautv.

Artemisia remotiloba Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia rhodantha Rupr.

Artemisia rigida (Nutt.) Gray – Scabland Sagebrush

Artemisia rothrockii Gray – Timberline Sagebrush

Artemisia rubripes Nakai

Artemisia rupestris L. – Rock Wormwood, Alpine Yarrow

Artemisia rutifolia Stephan ex Spreng.

Artemisia saissanica (Krasch.) Filatova

Artemisia saitoana Kitam.

Artemisia salsoloides Willd.

Artemisia samoiedorum Pamp.

Artemisia santolina Schrenk

Artemisia santolinifolia Turcz. ex Besser

Artemisia santonica L.

Artemisia saposhnikovii Krasch. ex Poljak.

Artemisia schischkinii Krasch.

Artemisia schmidtiana – 'Nana' - Silver Mound Artemisia - Satiny Wormwood(External Link

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Artemisia schrenkiana Ledeb.

Artemisia scoparia Waldst. & Kit. – Redstem Wormwood

Artemisia scopiformis Ledeb.

Artemisia scopulorum Gray – Alpine Sagebrush, Dwarf Sagebrush

Artemisia scotina Nevski

Artemisia senjavinensis Bess. – Arctic Wormwood

Artemisia selengensis Turcz. ex Besser

Artemisia semiarida (Krasch. & Lavrenko) Filatova

Artemisia senjavinensis Besser

Artemisia sericea Weber ex Stechm.

Artemisia serotina Bunge

Artemisia serrata Nutt. – Sawtooth Wormwood

Artemisia spinescens (syn. Picrothamnus desertorum) – Bud Brush, Bud Sage

Artemisia sieversiana Willd.

Artemisia skorniakowii C.G.A.Winkl.

Artemisia sogdiana Bunge

Artemisia songarica Schrenk

Artemisia spicigera K.Koch

Artemisia splendens Willd.

Artemisia stelleriana Bess. – Hoary Mugwort

Artemisia stenocephala Krasch. ex Poljak.

Artemisia stenophylla Kitam.

Artemisia stolonifera (Maxim.) Kom.

Artemisia subarctica Krasch.

Artemisia subchrysolepis Filatova

Artemisia sublessingiana Krasch. ex Poljakov

Artemisia subsalsa Filatova

Artemisia subviscosa Turcz. ex Besser

Artemisia succulenta Ledeb.

Artemisia suksdorfii Piper – Coastal Wormwood

Artemisia sylvatica Maxim.

Artemisia szowitziana (Besser) Grossh.

Artemisia tanacetifolia L.

Artemisia taurica Willd.

Artemisia tenuisecta Nevski

Artemisia terrae-albae Krasch.

Artemisia tianschanica Krasch. ex Poljak.

Artemisia tilesii Ledeb. – Tilesius' Wormwood

Artemisia tomentella Trautv.

Artemisia tournefortiana Rchb.

Artemisia transbaicalensis Leonova

Artemisia transiliensis Poljakov

Artemisia trautvetteriana Besser

Artemisia tridentata Nutt. – Big Sagebrush, Blue Sage, Black Sage, Basin Sagebrush

Artemisia triniana Besser

Artemisia tripartita Rydb. – Threetip Sagebrush

Artemisia turanica Krasch.

Artemisia turcomanica Gand.

Artemisia umbelliformis Lam. – Alps Wormwood

Artemisia unalaskensis Rydb.

Artemisia vachanica Krasch. ex Poljak.

Artemisia valida Krasch. ex Poljak.

Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte – Chinese Wormwood

Artemisia viridis Willd.

Artemisia vulgaris L. – MugwortFurther Information

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