Almost 500 species of Artemisia (Artemisia sp.) occur worldwide, around fifty of which are native to North America. The genus was named—big surprise!— by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Some suggest that he named the genus after Queen Artemisia II, the fourth-century BC ruler of Caria, a nation-state on the southwest coast of what is now Turkey. Later Roman writers credited her with knowledge of botany and medicinal plants, which may have led Linnaeus to name a genus after her. (She is perhaps better remembered for the monumental tomb she built for her husband Mausolus, once considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. His tomb is the source of the word “mausoleum”.) Others maintain, however, that the genus was named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt and wilderness—later identified with the moon—and this interpretation is now the most popular. Linnaeus himself apparently never elaborated on the source of the genus name.
One of the best known—notorious even—of the European species of Artemisia is Artemisia absinthium, or Wormwood, one of the main ingredients in the psychoactive alcoholic drink absinthe, long banned in the United States because of its alleged hallucinogenic properties but now once again legal. One of the better known native American species, Artemisia ludoviciana, or White Sagebrush, which occurs mainly in western North America, is famous for its use in Native American smudging ceremonies and is also used in witchcraft and pagan practices. Perhaps the species now most prevalent in America is Artemisia vulgaris, a native of Eurasia and North Africa, commonly known as Mugwort. It was probably brought to the New World by early settlers who valued its medicinal properties and by practitioners of arcane arts attracted by its alleged magical attributes.
Five or six species of the genus Artemisia have been identified along the GAP. Mugwort—Artemisia vulgaris—is one of them, but GAPers are probably more likely to encounter Artemisia verlotiorum, sometimes also called Chinese Mugwort or simply Artemisia. A native of China, Korea, and Mongolia, it eventually spread to Europe. Originally considered a variant of Artemisia vulgaris, in 1876 the French botanist Martial Lamotte formally described it as a species distinct from Artemisia vulgaris and named it in honor of Jean-Baptiste Verlot (1816–1891), who first noted the difference, and his brother Pierre Lazare Bernard Verlot (1836–1897), both renowned French botanists. It too spread to the North American continent.
Admittedly, the identification of the Artemisia that grows along the GAP is controversial. Some authorities maintain that the Verlot brothers were full of hooey and that Artemisia verlotiorum is not a separate species but just a variant of Artemisia vulgaris. At least one authority, while acknowledging the existence of Artemisia verlotiorum, maintains that it does not occur in Pennsylvania at all. Others hedge by saying that Artemisia verlotiorum is probably a different species and does occur along the GAP but that further study is needed to settle the matter conclusively. There is also the possibility the plant that occurs along the GAP is a hybrid of Artemisia verlotiorum and Artemisia vulgaris. Such hybrids have been identified in Europe but admittedly it is not known if they occur in America. While all this uncertainty has led to a lot of head scratching, beard pulling, and gnashing of teeth on the part of professional botanists, most GAPers will probably be content with calling any member of the genus they find along the GAP simply Artemisia.
That said, taking all the available evidence into consideration, the Artemisia shown here is probably Artemisia verlotiorum. In any case, Artemisia verlotiorum and Artemisia vulgaris have much the same medicinal and magical qualities. Artemisia verlotiorum is said to be more aromatic than Artemisia vulgaris and the Artemisia shown here is indeed very aromatic.
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| Young Artemisia with the previous years stalks |
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| Immature Artemisia |
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| A large colony of Artemisia along the GAP |
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| Artemisia |
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| Artemisia |
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| Artemisia |
Flowering panicle of putative Chinese Mugwort, Artemisia verlotiorum. The arching main axis carries many pendent, leafy branchlets crowded with small green, nodding capitula—a useful field character for separating it from Common Mugwort (A. vulgaris)
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| Artemisia |
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| Artemisia |
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| Artemisia |
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| Dried Artemisia |
The crushed leaves of Artemisia have a very distinctive smell. Burned as incense, the dried leaves are famous in many cultures worldwide for dispelling negative energy and warding off malignant spirits and other malevolent entities, including hostile human beings. (Raccoons, it should be noted, are not repulsed by Artemisia; despite their bandit-like masks and propensity for mischief and thievery they are essentially benign creatures with an admirable family life.) Sachets of Artemisia can also be worn around the neck or elsewhere on the body to repulse negative influences. The plant also contains psychoactive compounds which are believed to induce vivid dreams when consumed as a tisane or smoked. Fresh leaves placed under a pillow while one is sleeping are said to prevent nightmares and encourage lucid dreaming.
