Artemisia gmelinii

Weber. ex Stechm.

Russian wormwood

AsteraceaeLeavesFlowersSpice/BeveragePotential hazards — see below
Caution — Parts of this plant may be toxic or require specific preparation. Verify with multiple sources before consuming.
Artemisia gmelinii
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(c) Oleg Kosterin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Oleg Kosterin
Artemisia gmelinii
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(c) Ринат Султанов, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ринат Султанов
Artemisia gmelinii
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(c) V.S. Volkotrub, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by V.S. Volkotrub

What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Spice, Flowers

Edible Parts: Leaves Edible Uses: One report says that the plant is edible but gives no more details.

Known Hazards

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people.

Where to Find It

It is a cool temperate plant. It grows in hills, steppe, semi-desert steppe, meadows, rocky slopes, scrub, dry floodlands, wastelands between 1500-4900 m altitude in China.

Asia, Afghanistan, Central Asia, China, E Europe, Himalayas, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Siberia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, China, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Philippines, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A shrub. It grows 50-100 cm high. It has several upright stems. It has woody rhizomes that can be hairy. The leaves in the middle of the stem are oval or triangle shaped and 2-10 cm long by 2-8 cm wide. They are divided 2 or 3 times. There are 3-5 pairs of segments.

How to Grow

Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a warm sunny dry position. Established plants are drought tolerant. Plants are longer lived, more hardy and more aromatic when they are grown in a poor dry soil. This species is closely related to A. sacrorum and often confused with that species. We are not sure if this plant is annual, biennial or perennial, since various reports differ. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Propagation: Seed - surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse, making sure that the compost does not dry out. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring or autumn. Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the young shoots when about10 - 15cm long, pot up in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse or cold frame and plant them out when well rooted. Very easy.

Medicinal Uses

Hepatic The leaf and stem are used in Korea to treat hepatitis, hyperlipaemia and infected cholecystitis. The plant contains flavonoids, sesquiterpenes and other bio-active constituents, though no bio-activites have been recorded scientifically.

Other Uses

The plant yields 1% essential oil, which contains 19% essential oil, 6% camphor. Special Uses

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Artemisia gmelinii, also known as Artemisia sacrorum, is a perennial shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is commonly known as Russian wormood or Gmelin's wormwood.

Notes

There are about 300 Artemisia species.

Names & Synonyms

Burmack, Burnak, Bu tse, Chumbar, Jan, Mkhan pa, Munya, Tatwan

Artemisia gmelinii Weber ex Stechmann var. biebersteiniana BesserArtemisia gmelinii var. discolor (Komarov) NakaiArtemisia gmelinii var. legitima BesserArtemisia santolinifolia Turczaninow ex BesserArtemisia sacrorum Ledebour var. minor LedebourArtemisia sacrorum var. santolinifolia (Turczaninow ex Besser) PampaniniArtemisia stechmanniana Besser, p.p.Artemisia turczaninoviana Besser, p.p.Artemisia vestita Wallich ex Besser var. discolor (Komarov) Kitagawa.
References (6)
  • Ambasta S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 55
  • Artemis. 17. 1775
  • Boesi, A., 2014, Traditional knowledge of wild food plants in a few Tibetan communities. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 10:75
  • Ling Yuou-ruen & C. J. Humphries, ASTERACEAE (Draft), Tribe ANTHEMIDEAE Cassini, in Flora of China
  • Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
  • Urgamal, M., Oyuntsetseg, B., Nyambayar, D. & Dulamsuren, Ch. 2014. Conspectus of the vascular plants of Mongolia. (Editors: Sanchir, Ch. & Jamsran, Ts.). Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. “Admon“ Press. 334pp. (p. 199-230).

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