Artemisia vulgaris


Artemisia vulgaris is one of several species in the genus Artemisia commonly known as mugwort, although Artemisia vulgaris is the species most often called mugwort. This species is also occasionally known as riverside wormwood, felon herb, chrysanthemum weed, wild wormwood, old Uncle Henry, sailor's tobacco, naughty man, old man or St. John's plant. Mugworts have been used medicinally and as culinary herbs.

Distribution

Artemisia vulgaris is native to temperate Europe, Asia, northern Africa and Alaska and is naturalized in North America, where some consider it an invasive weed. It is a very common plant growing on nitrogenous soils, like weedy and uncultivated areas, such as waste places and roadsides.

Uses

Traditionally, it was, and is, used as one of the flavoring and bittering agents of gruit ales, a type of non-hopped, fermented grain beverage.
In Nepal, the plant also called "Titepati" is use as an offering to the gods, for cleansing the environment, as an incense when burnt and also as a medicinal plant.

Description

Artemisia vulgaris is a tall herbaceous perennial plant growing 1–2 m tall, with an extensive rhizome system. Rather than depending on seed dispersal, Artemisia vulgaris spreads through vegetative expansion and the anthropogenic dispersal of root rhizome fragments. The leaves are 5–20 cm long, dark green, pinnate and sessile, with dense white tomentose hairs on the underside. The erect stems are grooved and often have a red-purplish tinge. The rather small florets are radially symmetrical with many yellow or dark red petals. The narrow and numerous capitula, all fertile, spread out in panicles. It flowers from mid-summer to early autumn.
A number of species of Lepidoptera such as Ostrinia scapulalis feed on the leaves and flowers of the plant.