# Artemisia
**Artemisia** is a large genus of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the daisy family ([Asteraceae](https://www.edgepedia.org/asteraceae)), commonly known as wormwood, mugwort, and sagebrush. The name was published by Linnaeus in *Species Plantarum* in 1753 and alludes to the Greek goddess Artemis.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information) • [2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/) The genus is native to the temperate and subtropical [Northern Hemisphere](https://www.edgepedia.org/northern-hemisphere), with extensions into southern tropical and southern Africa and western and southern South America.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information) Its most famous product is artemisinin, an antimalarial sesquiterpene lactone from *Artemisia annua*, whose discovery by the Chinese scientist [Tu Youyou](https://www.edgepedia.org/tu-youyou) was recognized with the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/) • [2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Artemisia* L., first published in Sp. Pl.: 845 (1753); accepted genus in Asteraceae, tribe Anthemideae[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information) • [4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/) |
| Species count | About 540 species in the wider circumscription (including Seriphidium)[5](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2) • [1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information) |
| Distribution | Temperate and subtropical Northern Hemisphere, southern Africa, western and southern South America; especially diverse in mountains, steppes, and semideserts of Central Asia[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information) • [6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00270.x) |
| Signature compound | Artemisinin from *A. annua*, the most effective antimalarial drug to date, recognized with the 2015 Nobel Prize[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/) |
| Fossil history | Possibly originated in arid or subarid temperate Asia in the mid-Tertiary; abundant only from the Middle to Late Miocene onward[7](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00287.x) |
| Modern taxonomy | A 2025 global phylogeny of 394 species proposes 24 sections in 8 subgenera, placing 99.6% of accepted species (502/505)[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/) |
| Safety limit | Thujone intake from *Artemisia* must not exceed 10 mg/kg (EFSA) or 3 mg/day/person (EMA)[2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/) |
## Description
Species are annual, biennial, or perennial herbs and low shrubs, often much-branched and aromatic, with a taproot and woody horizontal rootstock. The leaves are alternate, usually aromatic, and variously dissected, rarely entire.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information) The flower heads (capitula) are numerous and usually pendulous, arranged in large panicles or, less often, reduced racemes or spikes. Unlike the familiar daisies of the same family, the heads are disciform, without showy ray petals: outer florets are female and tubular with 2–3 teeth, while inner florets are hermaphrodite or functionally male with 5-lobed corollas. The fruit is an oblong-obovoid achene, and a pappus (the plume typical of many Asteraceae) is absent or reduced to a minute ring.[1](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information)
The intense aroma and bitter taste come from terpenoids and sesquiterpene lactones, which discourage herbivory and have contributed to the genus's abundance and diversity.[8](https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=102682) All species produce aromatic oils, and several are culinary herbs, flavorings, vermifuges, or pharmaceuticals, while some are toxic.[4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/)
## Taxonomy and phylogeny
*Artemisia* is the largest genus of tribe Anthemideae and one of the largest in Asteraceae, itself the largest plant family by species number.[4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/) • [9](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123858511000159) Its circumscription has long been contentious. Traditional subgenera were delineated by capitulum characters such as flower number, head shape, and receptacle hairiness, but molecular studies have not fully corroborated any earlier classification, and homogamous discoid heads appear to have arisen in parallel four to seven times, making capitulum morphology an unreliable taxonomic character.[6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00270.x) • [4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/) One molecular study supported a broad concept of *Artemisia* sensu lato that absorbs the segregate genera Neopallasia, Crossostephium, Filifolium, Seriphidium, and Sphaeromeria, with only subgenus [Dracunculus](https://www.edgepedia.org/dracunculus) monophyletic among the four traditional subgenera.[4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/)
**A genomic framework.** A 2025 study reconstructed the most comprehensive global phylogeny of the genus to date, covering 394 of 505 accepted species using a gigamatrix of 202 low-copy nuclear genes and two ribosomal DNA markers, and analyzed 20 morphological characters for taxonomic utility. On this basis it recognized 24 sections in 8 subgenera, placing 502 of the 505 accepted species. The authors infer that the genus's evolutionary history has been accompanied by incomplete lineage sorting resulting from rapid diversification.[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/)
In North America, about 50 native and introduced species occur across the subgenera Artemisia, Absinthium, Dracunculus, and Tridentatae. Subgenus Tridentatae, the true sagebrushes, is endemic to North America and separated from the other subgenera by its completely woody habit, distinctive chemistry, and fertile, homogamous perfect disc flowers; estimates place it at 10 to 13 species.[10](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031942213004512) • [11](https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/30023)
## Geological history
Fossil pollen combined with phytogeographic data indicates that *Artemisia* possibly originated in the arid or subarid areas of temperate Asia during the mid-Tertiary. The earliest Asteraceae pollen grains carry medium to long spines, while *Artemisia* pollen with short spinules appears slightly later, suggesting the latter evolved from the former.[7](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00287.x) The genus's development falls into three stages: despite earlier presence in the Late Palaeogene, it did not become abundant until the Middle to Late Miocene; the Pliocene was an important time for the development of angiosperm herbs including *Artemisia*; and the [Quaternary](https://www.edgepedia.org/quaternary) was a major period of diversification and worldwide expansion. This history is linked to increased environmental variation, including global climate change and major tectonic movements.[7](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00287.x) In Asia specifically, the genus's Cenozoic evolution was strongly influenced by the uplift of the [Tibetan Plateau](https://www.edgepedia.org/tibetan-plateau), global cooling, and monsoon development.[12](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618210003381)
Because the genus produces abundant wind-dispersed pollen, *Artemisia* pollen in the geological record is used as an indicator of steppe climates.[4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/)
## Ecology
Shrubby species dominate most cold deserts and many warm deserts of the Northern Hemisphere, and the genus is especially diverse in the mountains, steppes, and semideserts of Central Asia, with about 50 species each reported for Europe and North America.[4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/) • [6](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00270.x) The plants are foraged by ungulates, rodents, birds, and insects despite the bitter sesquiterpenes in the herbage, and woody species increase dramatically under grazing pressure, excluding desirable forage. Many species are a major cause of pollen allergies in humans.[4](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/) In Asia, species such as *A. ordosica* and *A. halodendron* play critical roles in desertification control.[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/)
The North American names sagewort and sagebrush arise from the aroma's resemblance to culinary sage (*Salvia officinalis*), but the two genera are in separate families, so the chemical similarity is convergent evolution.[8](https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=102682)
## Uses in medicine, food, and drink
The genus holds medicinal, phytochemical, and ecological importance, and its chemistry triggered a research boom after 2015, with over one thousand papers published annually between 2015 and 2019.[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/) Traditional and pharmacological applications reported across species include antimalarial, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral uses.[2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/)
**Artemisinin.** The sesquiterpene lactone artemisinin, first extracted from *A. annua* (Asian sweet wormwood), a plant long known in Chinese folk medicine, is the most effective antimalarial drug to date.[2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/) • [3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/) Recent studies have explored therapeutic potential against tuberculosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and allergen-specific immunotherapy.[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/)
**Wormwood and absinthe.** *Artemisia absinthium* is one of the most famous species because of its use in producing absinthe, a drink restricted in most countries because of neurotoxicity concerns.[2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/) The relevant compound is thujone: the [European Food Safety Authority](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-food-safety-authority) limits thujone from *Artemisia* to 10 mg/kg, and the [European Medicines Agency](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-medicines-agency) to 3 mg/day/person; for alcoholic beverages in the European Union, the α- and β-thujone content must not exceed 10 mg/kg in spirits above 25% ethanol, or 35 mg/kg in bitter spirits.[2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/) • [13](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7570121/)
**Culinary herbs.** *[Artemisia dracunculus](https://www.edgepedia.org/tarragon)*, tarragon, is a culinary herb used as a food supplement with reported antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.[14](https://iasj.rdd.edu.iq/journals/uploads/2024/12/08/505bdca31540cd2a4e9462eede55bd06.pdf) French tarragon, the cultivar preferred for cooking, is seed sterile and must be propagated from stem tip cuttings, root cuttings, or divisions; Russian tarragon, which shares the same botanical name, grows vigorously from seed but has a balsamic leather odor and is not used for flavoring food.[15](https://www.herbsociety.org/file_download/inline/d52eae8c-be89-497d-94b3-7fc8da4105f1) Other regionally important species include *A. afra* in South Africa, used traditionally for inflammation, coughs, colds, malaria, fever, influenza, and diabetes, and *A. vulgaris*, used in traditional medicine with reported anticancer, hepatoprotective, antiepileptic, antimalarial, and insecticidal activities.[2](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/)
## References
1. [Artemisia L. – General information, Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2/general-information)
2. [Sharifi-Rad, J. et al. (2022). Artemisia spp.: An Update on Its Chemical Composition, Pharmacological and Toxicological Profiles. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9467740/)
3. [Global phylogeny and taxonomy of Artemisia (2025). Scientific Reports / PMC.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12508166/)
4. [Watson, L.E. et al. (2002). Molecular phylogeny of Subtribe Artemisiinae (Asteraceae), including Artemisia and its allied and segregate genera. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2:17.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC130036/)
5. [Artemisia L. – Taxonomy, Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn%3Alsid%3Aipni.org%3Anames%3A30001021-2)
6. [Tkach, N.V. et al. (2008). Parallel evolutionary patterns in multiple lineages of Arctic Artemisia L. (Asteraceae). Evolution.](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00270.x)
7. [Wang, W.-M. (2004). On the origin and development of Artemisia (Asteraceae) in the geological past. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 145: 331–336.](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2004.00287.x)
8. [Artemisia in Flora of North America, efloras.org](https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=102682)
9. [Biology, Genome Evolution, Biotechnological Issues and Research Including Applied Perspectives in Artemisia (Asteraceae). Advances in Botanical Research, ScienceDirect.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123858511000159)
10. [North American Artemisia species from the subgenus Tridentatae (Sagebrush): A phytochemical, botanical and pharmacological review. Phytochemistry Reviews, ScienceDirect.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031942213004512)
11. [Sagebrush systematics and distribution, US Forest Service Research and Development.](https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/30023)
12. [Origin and development of Artemisia (Asteraceae) in Asia and its implications for the uplift history of the Tibetan Plateau: A review, ScienceDirect.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618210003381)
13. [Artemisia absinthium L. – Importance in the History of Medicine, the Latest Advances in Phytochemistry and Therapeutical, Cosmetological and Culinary Uses, PMC.](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7570121/)
14. [Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) biological, medicinal properties, University of Kerbala, Iraq.](https://iasj.rdd.edu.iq/journals/uploads/2024/12/08/505bdca31540cd2a4e9462eede55bd06.pdf)
15. [Herbal Uses, The Herb Society of America.](https://www.herbsociety.org/file_download/inline/d52eae8c-be89-497d-94b3-7fc8da4105f1)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Plants and algae › Seed plants › Other flowering plants › Asterids › Campanulid families*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license