Absinth Wormwood

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{{Taxobox | color = lightgreen | name = Absinth Wormwood | image = Koeh-164.jpg | image_caption = Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) | regnum = Plantae | divisio = Magnoliophyta | classis = Magnoliopsida | ordo = Asterales | familia = Asteraceae | genus = Artemisia | species = A. absinthium | binomial = Artemisia absinthium | binomial_authority = L. }}

Absinth Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium also known as "grand wormwood" and commonly referred to as just "wormwood") is a medicinal plant and a type of wormwood. It has been used to repel fleas and moths and distilled in the liquor absinthe (French for wormwood). It is also used medically as a tonic, stomachic, febrifuge and anthelmintic. It is native to Europe and Siberia and is now widespread in the United States.

The word "wormwood" comes from Middle English "wormwode" or "wermode". The form "wormwood" is influenced by the traditional use as a cure for intestinal worms. But in fact, the form "wermode" is more genuine, coming from Old English "wermōd" (compare with German Wermut). This probably comes from the word "wer", meaning "man" (as in "werewolf"), plus "mōd", meaning "mood".

See Artemisia (plant) for its relationship to the Book of Revelation, Chernobyl and other associations in human culture.

1 Description
2 Botanical Characteristics
3 Distribution and Habitat
4 Cultivation
5 Uses
6 Gallery
7 External links

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Description

A hardy, herbaceous perennial, it can grow to 4 feet tall (1 meter). It is covered in silky silvery-white hairs and many oil-producing glands. Its stems are a silvery-green color, straight, grooved, branched, and covered in leaves.

The leaves are alternate, a greenish-grey color on the upper side, and almost white and silky underneath. The basal leaves measure up to 25 centimetres in length and have long petioles. The cauline leaves (those on the stem) have short petioles and are less divided. The top leaves can even be both simple and sessile (without a petiole). The plant blossoms from July to September. Its flowers are yellow, tubular, and clustered in spherical bent-down heads (composite flowers), which are in turn clustered in leafy and branched panicles.

The plant has a hard rhizome.

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Botanical Characteristics

Reproductive organs:
- Type of inflorescence: cluster of heads
- Sexual division: hermaphrodite
- Type of pollination: anemophilous
- Flowering period: July to September
Seed:
- Type of fruit: achene
- Seed dissemination: gravity
Distribution and habitat:
- Habitat type: long-fallow xerophilous land, middle-European
- Area of distribution: Eurasia

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Distribution and Habitat

This plant originated in the temperate climates of continental Europe, Asia and North Africa, but it has been naturalized elsewhere. It grows naturally on uncultivated, arid ground, on rocky slopes, and at the edge of footpaths and fields.

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Cultivation

The plant can easily be cultivated in low-grade, dry soil. They should be planted under bright exposure in fertile, mid-weight soil. It prefers pedocal soil, rich in nitrogen. It can be propagated by growth or by seeds in nursery beds.

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Uses

In a garden

The plant's characteristic odor can make it useful for making a plant spray against pests. In the practice of companion planting, because of the secretions of its roots, it exerts an inhibiting effect on the growth of surrounding plants, thus weeds. It can be useful to repel larvae worms but it need only be planted on the edge of the area of cultivation.

One ingredient in the liquor absinthe and flavoring in wine, such as vermouth.
Therapeutic uses.

The leaves and flowering tops are gathered when the plant is in full bloom, and dried naturally or with artificial heat. Its active substances include silica, two bitter elements (absinthine and anabsinthine), thujone, tannic and resinous substances, malic acid, and succinic acid. Its use has been claimed to remedy insufficient gastric acid, to promote blood circulation in the pelvic regions and biliary excretions, act as a disinfectant, and as a vermifuge. For medicinal use, the herb is used to make a tea. A wine can also be made by macerating the herb. It is also available in powder form and as a tincture. This plant may contain dangerous active substances. Limited use is recommended, and it should not be used by pregnant women.