Artemisia absinthium
Credits
New article for Trees and Shrubs Online.
Recommended citation
'Artemisia absinthium' from the website Trees and Shrubs Online (treesandshrubsonline.
Common Names
- Wormwood
- Absinth
This is less woody than A. arborescens, and usually classified as an herbaceous perennial, but it is closely allied to it, differing mainly in the much smaller flower-heads and the less finely cut and less silvery foliage.
A. absinthium is a native of much of Europe, including Britain. The essential oil obtained from it by distillation was the main flavouring of the notorious liquor absinthe, the production of which in its original form was made illegal in many European countries early this century. It is a matter of dispute whether the wormwood itself or the very high alcoholic content of absinthe was responsible for its deleterious effects.