Artemisia vulgaris

Artemisia vulgaris L.

from the Vienna Dioscorides

Order	Asterales
Family	Compositae
Genus	Artemisia

2n = 16, 18

Origin : Eurasia

wild, rarely cultivated

English	{{{english}}}
French	{{{french}}}

Popular names

• English: mugwort
• French: armoise
• German: Beifuß
• Dutch: bijvoet
• Spanish: artemisa
• Portuguese: artemigem
• Italian: artemisia, assenzio selvatico
• Chinese: yě ài
• Japanese: yomogi

Classification

Artemisia vulgaris L. (1753)

In East and South Asia, it is present as var. indica (Willd.) Maxim. (1872).

History

Several species have been named artemisia by Greeks and later Romans. As the goddess Artemis to whom it is dedicated, mugwort has the mandate to cure women's illnesses. In the Middle-Ages, it came to be known as the mother of all herbs, mater herbarum, and Macer Floridus (9th century) details its virtues. It was also a magical herb, and one of Saint-John's herbs, that were worn to protect oneself against spells, or that were placed in houses to keep away bad evils. Crowns or belts of mugwort were thrown into Saint-John's fires.

Uses

• Condiment. Much used as a culinary herb in the Middle-Ages. Today rarely used, in Germany for roasts, grilled eel, sauces or lard. In Japan, it is used as a vegetable and to flavour rice.
• Medicinal. See Cazin 1868.

Links

Mansfeld

GRIN

Prota4U

IPNI