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- Artemisia vulgaris
Artemisia vulgaris — common wormwood
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Facts
Common wormwood, also sometimes called mugwort, is native to the beaches of northeastern Asia and extreme northwestern North America (Alaska). It is now rapidly spreading throughout the northern hemisphere, including northeastern North America. Common wormwood was once used to impart a bitter flavor to beer before the advent of hops.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 20–120 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 6-10
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract cycle number
-
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- there are two main cycles of bracts
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with curled, tangled, matted, or woolly hairs
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- the bracts appear completely unconnected to one another on all flower heads
- Bract shape
- the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- Disk flower color
-
- green to brown
- pink to red
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 6-10
- Disk flower reproductive parts
-
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- the disk flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head shape
- the sides of the flower head are roughly parallel, like a cylinder
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has disk flowers only, and lacks the strap-shaped flowers
- Height of flower head base
- 2.5–4.5 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is not flat-topped but appears rounded, with some flower heads distinctly higher than others
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
- there are no lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is roughly elliptical (widest in the middle, tapering to both ends)
- Ray flower color
- NA
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- NA
- Ray flowers
- 0
- Ray length
- 0 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 0
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 0.5–1.2 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 0 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- there is no pappus on the ovary
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Ovary glands
-
- there are glands on the ovary surface
- there are no visible glands on the ovary
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- At least 2 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade bloom
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
- Leaf blade length
- 20–120 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is obovate (egg-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade width
- 18–80 mm
- Leaf disposition
-
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- At least 0 mm
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Scent
- Plant odor
-
- the plant does not have much of an odor
- the plant has a pleasant odor, such as licorice, fruit or resin
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair type
-
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present, invasive, prohibited
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Maine
- unranked (S-rank: SNR)
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
Subspecies and varieties
Our variety is Artemisia vulgaris L. var. vulgaris.
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
13. Artemisia vulgaris L. var. vulgaris E
common wormwood. Artemisia vulgaris L. var. glabra Ledeb.; A. vulgaris L. var. latiloba Ledeb. • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT. Fields, roadsides, disturbed soil, vacant lots, railroads.
Native to North America?
Yes
Sometimes confused with
- Artemisia carruthii:
- leaf blades with ultimate segments narrower than 2 mm and reproductive stems mostly 1.5-4 dm tall (vs. A. vulgaris, with leaf blades with ultimate segments wider than 2 mm and reproductive stems mostly 6-19 dm tall).
Synonyms
- Artemisia vulgaris var. glabra Ledeb.
- Artemisia vulgaris var. latiloba Ledeb.