Asteraceae
Artemisia

Artemisia absinthium L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 848 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Europe to Siberia and W. Himalaya, N. Africa. It is a perennial and grows primarily in the temperate biome. It is used as a poison and a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Distribution
Cultivated in Colombia.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Alt. 950 - 2700 m.
[UPB]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
ajenjo, altamisa, artemisa, curahígado
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 950 - 2700 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, subarbusto
[CPLC]

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb 30–60 cm high, with a woody base, puberulent or grey-sericeous
Morphology Stem
Stems few
Morphology Leaves
Basal and lower leaves petiolate; basal leaves: petiole 6–8 cm, leaf blade ovate in outline, 8–10 × 7–9 cm, 2(–3)-pinnatisect, with 4 or 5 pairs of pinnately lobed segments; lobes lanceolate to linear, obtuse; middle stem leaves: petiole 1.5–3 cm; leaf blade ovate or elliptic-ovate, 2-pinnatisect; lobes linear-lanceolate; uppermost leaves 4 × 2–4 cm in outline, pinnatisect or 5-lobed; leaflike bracts 3-lobed with lanceolate or linear-lanceolate lobes or entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence paniculate, with ascending to spreading branches
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum
Capitula with short pedicels to 2 mm, nodding
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Receptacle
Receptacle discoid, densely pubescent; phyllaries imbricate, outer oblong; inner oblong to orbicular, obtuse, with broadly scarious margins
Ray
Ray florets female, corolla yellow, 2-toothed; disc florets many, bisexual, corolla yellow
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Achenes ± 1 mm, oblong, with apical corona or not.
Ecology
In valley, in shade, near stream; alt. (only once recorded) 1450 m;
Phenology
flowering & fruiting: Aug.
Distribution
Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, China; N Africa, SW Asia, Europe, North America.
[FIQ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds Protein Content

28.10% Entire seed/nut. Moisture content not stated (Jones & Earle, 1966)

[SID]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 950–2700 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Cundinamarca, Quindío, Risaralda, Santander, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb, Subshrub.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Uses

Use Food
Leaves and flowers - Used in infusions as a stimulant (Lagos-López 2007). Food (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Materials
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Materials Unspecified Materials Chemicals
Materials (State of the World's Plants 2016).
Use Medicines Digestive System Disorders
Leaves - Used in liquid medicines for detoxification purposes (Cadena-González 2010). Used in liquid medicines in the treatment of liver complaints (Lagos-López 2007, Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010).
Use Medicines Infections & Infestations
Leaves - Used in liquid medicines or in baths against infections (Cadena-González 2010).
Use Medicines Inflammation
Stems and leaves - Used in liquid medicines or in baths (Cadena-González 2010).
Use Medicines Nutritional Disorders
Used in wine to stimulate appetite in children (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010).
Use Medicines Pregnancy, Birth or Puerpuerium Disorders
Stems - Used in liquid medicines to prevent excessive blood loss during childbirth (Cadena-González 2010).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Stems and leaves - Used in liquid medicines or in baths (Florez-Cárdenas et al. 2010, Cadena-González 2010). Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Common Names

Spanish
Ajenjo.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Seed Information Database

    • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. (2019) Seed Information Database (SID). Version 7.1. Available from: http://data.kew.org/sid/ (September 2019)
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • World Checklist of Vascular plants (WCVP)

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0