Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica, Sp. Pl.: 847 (1753))

Family: Asteraceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 847 (1753)

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Artemisia

Vegetable: False

Observations: Europe to S. Siberia ana N. China

Description

Roman wormwood, scientifically known as Artemisia pontica, is a perennial plant belonging to the Asteraceae family. This species was first described by the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753, as indicated in his seminal work “Species Plantarum.”

Roman wormwood is indigenous to a wide geographical area, ranging from various parts of Europe to Southern Siberia and Northern China. This broad distribution is a testament to its adaptability and resilience in different climatic conditions.

Historically and culturally significant, Artemisia pontica has been recognized for its distinctive characteristics and potential uses. The plant generally features finely divided, aromatic leaves and small, spherical flower heads typical of the Asteraceae family. These botanical features not only contribute to its identification but also to its utility in various herbal applications.

The adaptability of Roman wormwood to diverse habitats—ranging from temperate European regions to the more extreme climates of Siberia and Northern China—demonstrates its ecological versatility. This adaptability has enabled it to thrive across different soils and altitudes, making it an enduring subject of study for botanists and horticulturalists alike.

In conclusion, Roman wormwood is a fascinating species that combines historical botanical significance with remarkable adaptability. Its presence across a vast geographic range showcases its resilience and potential for various uses, making it a noteworthy member of the Asteraceae family.

Common Names

Fin: apilanvieras, humalanvieras, idänkanukka
Fra: armoise de la mer noire, petite absinthe, petite armoise, absinthe romaine, armoise du pont, armoise pontique, plante de beauté
Eng: green-ginger, roman wormwood, petite wormwood
Dan: hvid kornel, lyng-silke, nælde-silke, pontisk bynke
Nor: kvitkornell, neslesnikjetråd, timiansnikjetråd
Swe: ljungsnärja, nässelsnärja, rysk kornell, videkornell, romersk malört
Lit: pontinis kietis
Deu: pontischer beifuß
En: Roman wormwood, Green-ginger, Petite wormwood
Ar: شيح أرمني
Bg: Черноморски пелин
Zh: 西北蒿
Cs: Pelyněk pontický
Da: Hvid Kornel, Lyng-Silke, Nælde-Silke, Pontisk bynke
Nl: Kleine Alsem, Pontische Alsem
Fi: Silkkimaruna, Apilanvieras, Humalanvieras, Idänkanukka
Fr: Absinthe romaine, Armoise de la mer Noire, Armoise romaine, Petite Absinthe, Petite Armoise, Armoise du Pont, Armoise pontique, Plante de beauté
De: Pontischer Beifuß, Pontischer Wermut, Römischer Wermut
Hu: Bárányüröm
It: Assenzio pontico
Lt: Pontinis kietis
No: Kvitkornell, Neslesnikjetråd, Timiansnikjetråd
Pl: Bylica pontyjska
Ru: Полынь римская
Sv: Romersk malört, Ljungsnärja, Nässelsnärja, Rysk kornell, Videkornell
Zh-tw: 西北蒿

Synonyms

• Artemisia altaica (Desf.)
• Artemisia grandiflora (Fisch. ex Herder)
• Artemisia balsamita (Willd.)
• Absinthium ponticum (Besser)
• Absinthium tenuifolium (Gaterau)
• Artemisia pontica var. sericea (Wallr.)
• Artemisia pontica var. discolor (Wallr.)
• Artemisia pontica var. calyculata (Wallr.)

Distribution

• Altay (native)
• Austria (native)
• Baltic States (native)
• Bulgaria (native)
• Central European Rus (native)
• China North-Central (native)
• Czechoslovakia (native)
• East European Russia (native)
• Hungary (native)
• Inner Mongolia (native)
• Italy (native)
• Kazakhstan (native)
• Krasnoyarsk (native)
• Krym (native)
• North Caucasus (native)
• Northwest European R (native)
• Romania (native)
• South European Russi (native)
• Spain (native)
• Ukraine (native)
• West Siberia (native)
• Xinjiang (native)
• Yugoslavia (native)
• Belgium (introduced)
• Connecticut (introduced)
• Delaware (introduced)
• Denmark (introduced)
• France (introduced)
• Germany (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Illinois (introduced)
• Kentucky (introduced)
• Maine (introduced)
• Manitoba (introduced)
• Masachusettes (introduced)
• Michigan (introduced)
• Minnesota (introduced)
• New Hampshire (introduced)
• New Jersey (introduced)
• New York (introduced)
• Norway (introduced)
• Nova Scotia (introduced)
• Ohio (introduced)
• Ontario (introduced)
• Pennsylvania (introduced)
• Poland (introduced)
• Québec (introduced)
• Rhode I. (introduced)
• Switzerland (introduced)
• Vermont (introduced)
• Wisconsin (introduced)

Additional Images

Fruit

Taken Oct 5, 2022 by niky v. (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 22, 2022 by #MaryKingfishers MK (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Jan 25, 2022 by Bogdan Nesic (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 26, 2020 by Bogdan Nesic (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 6, 2020 by Capucine Bondelu (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 16, 2019 by T R (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 16, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Encyclopedia of Life (gpl)

Taken Jan 1, 1900 by EOL − Michal Hroneš (cc-by-nc)

Taken Aug 4, 2022 by Andrzej Konstantynowicz (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 16, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken May 28, 2022 by Sabine Meng (cc-by-sa)

Taken Sep 20, 2021 by Jess L (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 5, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 16, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 25, 2021 by camacho ricardo (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Aug 14, 2017 by EVELYNE FONTAINE (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/8195160)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:179970-1)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Artemisia pontica L.)

Specifications

Growth habit>: Subshrub

Growth