ARTEMISIA, (so called, according to some, from Artemisia, wife of Mausolus king of Caria, who brought this plant into use, whereas, before, it was called Parthenia, the virgin goddess being said to have given name to it), Mugwort, a genus of the polygamia superflua order, belonging to the syngenesia class of plants.
Species. Of this genus there are upwards of 20 species enumerated by botanical writers; but those most worthy of notice are the following. 1. The vulgaris, or common mugwort. This grows naturally on banks and by the side of foot-paths in many parts of Britain, so is seldom admitted into gardens, where it would prove a troublesome weed, as it spreads very fast by its creeping roots. It flowers in June, at which time the plant is ready for use. 2. The dracunculus, or tarragon, which is frequently used in fallads, especially by the French. It is a very hardy plant, and spreads greatly by its creeping roots. 3. The abrotanum, or southernwood, which is kept in gardens for the sake of its agreeable scent. It is a low shrub, seldom rising more than three or four feet high, sending out lateral shrubby branches, growing erect, garnished with five bristly leaves, having an agreeable scent when bruised: the flowers are produced in spikes from the extremity of the branches; but unless the autumn proves warm, they seldom open in England. 4. The fantonicum, which produces the semen fantonicum, which is much used for worms in children. It grows naturally in Persia, from whence the seeds are brought to Europe. It hath the appearance of our wild mugwort; the branches are slender, erect, and garnished with linear winged leaves, and terminated by recurved slender spikes of flowers which have naked receptacles. 5. The artemisia maritima, or sea-wormwood, grows naturally on the sea-coasts in most parts of Britain, where there are several varieties, if not distinct species, to be found. These are low under shrubs, most of which creep at the root, by which they multiply greatly in their natural situation, but when transplanted into gardens seldom thrive so well. 6. The pontica, or pontic wormwood, commonly called Roman wormwood, is a low herbaceous plant, whose stalks die in autumn, and new ones appear in the spring. These are garnished with finely divided leaves, whose under-sides are woolly;
Artemisia, woolly; and the upper part of the stalks are furnished with globular flowers which nod on one side, having naked receptacles. These appear in August, but are rarely succeeded by seeds in Britain. 7. The absinthium, or common wormwood, grows naturally in lanes and uncultivated places, and is too well known to require any particular description. 8. The arborescens, or tree-wormwood, grows naturally in Italy and the Levant near the sea. It rises, with a woody stalk, six or seven feet high, sending out many ligneous branches, garnished with leaves somewhat like those of the common wormwood, but more finely divided, and much whiter. The branches are terminated by spikes of globular flowers in the autumn, which are seldom succeeded by seeds in this country.
Culture. The southernwood is propagated by slips or cuttings planted in a shady border about the beginning of April, observing to water them duly in dry weather. In this border they may remain till the following autumn, when they should be transplanted, either into pots, or those parts of the garden where they are to remain. The santonicum is likewise propagated by slips; but the plants should be placed in a dry soil and sheltered situation, where they will endure the cold of our ordinary winters pretty well; but it will be proper to have a plant or two in pots, which may be sheltered under a common hot-bed frame in winter, to preserve the species. The true wormwood is easily propagated in the same manner. The cuttings must be planted in a shady border, and duly watered during the summer season, in which case they will take root freely. In autumn, some of the young plants should be potted, that they may be sheltered in winter; the others may be planted in a warm border, where they will live, provided the winter proves favourable. The other sorts spread by their creeping roots; and require no culture, as they are very hardy, and will thrive any where.
Medicinal Uses. The moxa, so famous in the eastern countries for curing the gout by burning it on the part affected, is the lanugo or down growing on the under side of the leaves of a species of mugwort, supposed to be the same with our common sort. From some dried samples of this plant, which have been brought over to this country, Mr Miller reckons them to be the same, differing only in size; in which the East Indian kind is inferior to ours. He supposes that the lanugo of our mugwort would be equally efficacious. The feeds of the santonicum are small, light, chaffy, composed as it were of a number of thin membranous coats, of a yellowish colour, an unpleasant smell, and a very bitter taste. These feeds are celebrated for anthelmintic virtues (which they have in common with other bitters), and are sometimes taken in this intention, either along with melleas, or candied with sugar. They are not very often met with genuine in the shops. The leaves of the sea, common, and Roman wormwoods are used as stomachics, but are all very disagreeable: the Roman is the least so, and therefore is to be preferred; but the other two kinds are generally substituted in its place. The distilled oil of wormwood is sometimes made use of to rub on the belly as a cure for worms.