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Absinth Wormwood

Artemesia absinthium L.

Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

   

    ▲seedling

   

    ▲▼young plants

   

   

    ▲▼leaves

  

   ▲▼leaves

  

▲▼ mature plant

   

    ▲▼mature plant

   

   

    ▲▼ inflorescences in upper branches

Artemisia absinthium L., Absinthe Wormwood: (Bayer Code:  ARTAB; US Code ARAB3)

·         Simple perennial with alternate, triangular, deeply-divided leaves that are gray-green in color

·         Leaves and young stems have strong medicinal odor

·         Plants usually well-branched, growing 2-5 feet tall

·         Is toxic to livestock

·         Is a non-native, invasive species, particularly in north-central Midwest/great plains area; not common in Missouri, except in herb gardens

·         Extract from the plant is used in the production of absinthe, a distilled spirit sold in Europe; concern over its possibly psychoactive constituents made it illegal to make or sell in U.S. until 2007

·         Native Louisiana wormwood also has silver leaves and upright growth, but its leaves are lanceolate with only a few teeth at the tip, not deeply divided as in absinthe wormwood

·         Although not usually growing in same areas, mugwort may appear similar to absinthe wormwood, particularly when both plants are in the flowering stages, but mugwort usually will have greener leaf upper sides and slightly wider and more pointed-tipped lobes than absinth wormwood, which usually has silvery leaves (upper and lower sides) and slightly narrower and more rounded-tipped lobes

 

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Updated 19 January 2019