Artemisia princeps, Artemisia japonica, Artemisia urticaria, and Artemisia velutipes are all members of the Artemisia genus in the Asteraceae family. Many species are extremely common perennial herbs that dominate small vacant lots from urban areas to mountainous fields. Their most distinctive features are the cottony, fluffy underside of their leaves and, unusually for the Asteraceae family, their wind-pollinated flowers. However, their inconspicuous flowers and fruits make classification difficult, and they can be hard to distinguish in the wild.The Artemisia genus is a very large group, so you need to consult a field guide for accurate identification, but you can roughly distinguish between the four species based on leaf shape and hairiness. Three of the species are rare in Honshu, where Artemisia japonica is almost dominant.While it may seem that mugwort is now only used in rice cakes (kusa mochi), Western mugwort is widely used in Okinawa and is a group that is actively researched for its medicinal properties. Furthermore, it can also be used in moxibustion. This article will explain the classification, morphology, ecology, and uses of the Artemisia genus.
- What are mugwort, wormwood (Artemisia princeps), bitter wormwood, and male wormwood?
- What are the differences between mugwort, wormwood (Artemisia princeps), bitter wormwood, and male wormwood?
- What is the difference between mugwort and yomogi (Erigeron annuus)?
- Are there any other similar species?
- What are the differences in how to use mugwort, wormwood (Artemisia princeps), bitter wormwood, and male wormwood?
- How is pollination done?
- What are the seed dispersal methods?
- References
What are mugwort, wormwood (Artemisia princeps), bitter wormwood, and male wormwood?
Mugwort (Japanese mugwort, Aoi, Xiao) Artemisia indica var. maximowiczii It is also known as Kazuzaki mugwort or mochigusa. On the internet... Artemisia princeps You may see it used, but it is a synonym (former scientific name). It is a perennial plant distributed in Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Ogasawara Islands of Japan, as well as in Korea, and grows in a wide range of areas from towns to mountains and fields.
Western Artemisia Artemisia indica var. indica It is also known as Okinawa mugwort or Fuchiba. It is distributed in Honshu (west of the Kanto region), Kyushu, and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan; Korea, China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Philippines), and South Asia, and is a perennial herb that grows in construction sites and on slopes of forest roads (Shimotsuke, 2014).
Wormwood (Bitter Mugwort) Artemisia absinthium This perennial plant is native to Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, West Asia, and North America, and has escaped cultivation and become naturalized all over the world, including Japan.
Male mugwort (Artemisia princeps) Artemisia japonica subsp. Japonica var. Japonica This perennial herb is distributed in Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and the Ryukyu Islands in Japan; as well as in Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Afghanistan, growing in riverbeds, grasslands, forest edges, and railway embankments. Its Japanese name is said to originate from the small size of its seeds.
All of these belong to the Artemisia genus of the Asteraceae family, and are extremely common perennial plants that predominantly grow in small vacant lots from urban areas to mountainous fields. However, Artemisia wormwood is an introduced species.
Morphologically, the underside of the leaves is cottony and fluffy, and the flower heads (inflorescences characteristic of the Asteraceae family) are usually oriented downwards (rarely upwards) and composed of tubular florets.
The most distinctive feature is that while most plants in the Asteraceae family are insect-pollinated, attracting insects with bright colors for pollination, Artemisia species have tubular florets that are wind-pollinated, relying on the wind to carry their pollen.
This characteristic is attributed to the genus Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum It is believed that the ancestors of the Artemisia genus, which are closely related to Artemisia, evolved by adapting to wind-pollinated flowers after moving into arid regions with few insects.
In fact, this aligns with the fact that Artemisia species can adapt and grow even in dry, concrete-filled areas.
Mugwort and its relatives have a long history of being used for food and medicine. Although they can be found everywhere these days, it seems that their use has decreased. However, I think most Japanese people have eaten mugwort mochi, which is made from mugwort. In Okinawa, mugwort is called "fuuchiba" and, despite its distinctive taste, is commonly eaten.
In addition, Artemisia princeps is also edible, but distinguishing between these plants is often very difficult in the wild, partly because their flowers are inconspicuous and their characteristics are hard to see.
What are the differences between mugwort, wormwood (Artemisia princeps), bitter wormwood, and male wormwood?
There are approximately 30 species of Artemisia in Japan alone, making it quite difficult to distinguish between them.
However, for reference purposes, we will only consider how to distinguish between four species here. Among these four species, you can easily distinguish between Wormwood and Viburnum plicatum if you carefully observe their leaves.
First, while mugwort, wormwood, and bitter wormwood have pinnately compound leaves, meaning the leaves are finely lobed like bird feathers, in contrast to muscovado, where the central leaves have shallower lobes and are usually spatulate-wedge shaped. There is a great deal of variation in the leaves, so you will need to examine several leaves, but it should be relatively easy to identify.
Furthermore, while white hairs are prominent on the leaves of Artemisia princeps, Artemisia japonica, and Artemisia glabra, there are almost no white hairs on Artemisia japonica.
Another important taxonomic difference is that while Artemisia princeps, Artemisia japonica, and Artemisia glabra produce both female and hermaphroditic flowers, Artemisia rupestris produces only female flowers and not hermaphroditic flowers. However, confirming this is limited to the flowering season and would be difficult for the average person.
Regarding the remaining three species, the differences are that in Artemisia princeps and Artemisia japonica, white hairs grow only on the underside, the pinnately compound leaves are not very finely divided, and the tips of the compound leaves are relatively sharp, while in Artemisia rupestris, white hairs grow on the upper surface as well, the pinnately compound leaves are more finely divided, and the tips of the compound leaves are relatively rounded.
Therefore, you can clearly see that wormwood is whitish in appearance.
The two species mentioned above are overwhelmingly rarer than mugwort, and the dominant species growing in towns is usually mugwort.
Artemisia japonica is more resistant to salt and drought damage than Artemisia sulphureus and can be found growing on coastlines (Iriyama, 2006).
What is the difference between mugwort and yomogi (Erigeron annuus)?
The most difficult to grow are mugwort and aster.
The only difference between Artemisia princeps and Artemisia japonica, according to field guides, is that Artemisia princeps has flower heads that are 1.2–1.8 mm in diameter, while Artemisia japonica has flower heads that are 1.8–2.5 mm in diameter. In other words, the parts that look like flowers (which are actually clusters of flowers) are larger in Artemisia princeps.
Therefore, it may be almost impossible to distinguish them outside of their flowering season.
While *Erigeron annuus* is sometimes described as a variety with wider leaf lobes, which could potentially help distinguish it, there is no specific description of how wide the leaf lobes must be to identify *Erigeron annuus*.
From a distribution standpoint, it seems that we can currently confirm that the plants found east of the Kanto region in Honshu are Artemisia princeps, while those found in Okinawa are Artemisia nipponica.
However, there is a clear difference in taste; Western mugwort is less bitter and has a softer texture, making it more suitable for eating.
While the distinction is important from an edible standpoint, mugwort and wormwood are broadly considered to be the same species. Artemisia indica They are positioned as varieties within the same species, and depending on the country and era, some classifications treat Artemisia princeps, Artemisia japonica, Artemisia leucocephala as a single species, indicating that they are an extremely closely related group (Shimono, 2014).
Are there any other similar species?
As mentioned above, there are many varieties, but if you carefully examine the shape of the leaves, you'll find that there are surprisingly few similar species. Nevertheless, you might still find it quite difficult.
Artemisia japonica Artemisia montana It resembles mugwort and asterias, but unlike mugwort and asterias, it has almost no pseudostipules at the base of the petiole, and its flower heads are bulbous and bell-shaped. "Pseudostipules" are leaf-like structures that extend to the left and right from the base of the petiole on the plant body. This is relatively easy to identify, but the flower heads are frankly too ambiguous. It is common in Hokkaido and is usually found in high-altitude mountainous areas on Honshu, so those found in lowlands are likely to be large mugwort.
Artemisia stenophylla Artemisia japonica var. lacinifolia It resembles Artemisia japonica, but unlike Artemisia japonica, its leaves are pinnately deeply lobed, and the lobes are linear-lanceolate.
Gray Artemisia Artemisia sieversiana It resembles wormwood, but unlike wormwood, its leaf lobes gradually narrow and have sharp tips.
Artemisia japonica Artemisia vulgaris It resembles Artemisia princeps and Artemisia japonica, but is not currently listed in Japanese botanical guides. However, overseas studies have indicated its distribution in Japan, and its actual distribution is still not well understood (Shimono, 2014).
What are the differences in how to use mugwort, wormwood (Artemisia princeps), bitter wormwood, and male wormwood?
What are some uses for mugwort?
Mugwort has a distinctive aroma, and the young shoots picked in spring can be boiled and used in dishes such as blanched greens, soups, or even in kusa mochi (mugwort rice cakes) or deep-fried (Odachi & Hiyama, 2013). It can also be used to make mugwort tea.
Kusa mochi (known as yomogi mochi in the Kansai region) is said to have originated in the Heian period as a rice cake kneaded with cudweed, one of the seven spring herbs, but by the Edo period, the use of mugwort became established (Yamashita, 2019).
灸, in other words, the "moxibustion" used艾It also has an important use; it is made by drying mugwort leaves and collecting the downy hairs from the underside (Oda, 1984; Odachi & Hiyama, 2013). In a type of Oriental medicine, moxa is burned on a selected area of the body surface (on the skin) to provide thermal stimulation and prevent or treat diseases. However, in some cases, Artemisia princeps (Artemisia japonica) is used. Artemisia montana It is also used. Furthermore, the plant found in China is not mugwort (Artemisia princeps), but Korean mugwort (Artemisia koreana). Artemisia argyi Therefore, it is highly likely that this is used in countries other than China.
It has many uses, including medicinal purposes, and its leaves areAihaIt is used as a herbal medicine and has hemostatic properties. Some of the mugwort leaves are actually Artemisia princeps, and in China it is called Artemisia koreana.
Young shoots and budding plants, after being dried and brewed into a tea, are traditionally used as a folk remedy for stomach ailments, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, and cold sensitivity. More mature plants are also dried and added to bathwater as a bath additive to relieve lower back pain and hemorrhoids.
Mugwort is known to be highly nutritious, particularly rich in minerals and vitamins. Among vegetables, it ranks third in potassium content (after Swiss chard and parsley), second in iron content (after parsley), and eighth in beta-carotene content (Ando et al., 2022). Furthermore, mugwort is known to have strong antioxidant properties due to its high content of vitamins and polyphenols.
Its unique components include cineole, thujone, β-caryophyllene, borneol, and camphor (Odachi & Hiyama, 2013).
How can I use Artemisia princeps?
Although *Artemisia princeps* has a different distribution than *Artemisia japonica*, and is therefore used in different regions, its uses are very similar to those of *Artemisia princeps*.
In the Western Himalayas, it is called "thitepati" and is used by indigenous people to treat indigestion, chronic fever, and other liver diseases (Koul et al., 2017). In Nepal, the juice of this plant is used to treat dysentery, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The young leaves are cooked and eaten with barley, adding color and flavor to rice.
For food, the Garo people (a tribe living in the Noklek Biosphere Reserve in Meghalaya, India) eat the tender sprouts as a vegetable.
Nepalis use the juice of the leaves to treat skin diseases, and the dried leaves and flowers are used as an insect repellent.
In Okinawa it is called Fuchiba, and in the Ryukyuan language it is called "Fuchi (wind: refers to illness) and a "bar" that cures illness葉It means "wind leaf," and when translated into Japanese it means "wind leaf," and has been widely used in households as a medicinal herb because it is effective in reducing fever, gastrointestinal diseases, and gynecological diseases (Japan Society for Food Science and Technology, 2021).
In cooking, it is often used in dishes such as Fuchiba Jushi (rice cooked with mugwort) and Boroboro Jushi (rice porridge with mugwort) (Watanabe, 2008; Japan Society for Food Science and Technology, 2021). Jushi refers to rice porridge. Its use varies by region.
In addition, it is sometimes added raw to Okinawa soba, and when used in hijaa-jiru (goat soup), it serves to mask the odor.
The reason why Artemisia japonica can be readily eaten raw may be because its leaves are more fragrant than those of Artemisia sylvestris (Yamashita, 2019) and easier to eat.
Chemically, it contains volatile oils such as β-thujone, hernialin, 1,8-cineole, estragole, savinyl acetate, ciscrisanthenyl acetate, dabanone oil, and terpineol, and possesses antifungal properties (Koul et al., 2017). Two novel compounds, trans-ethyl cinnamate and piperitone, have been isolated by chromatographic distillation.
How can wormwood (Artemisia princeps) and mugwort (Artemisia rupestris) be used?
Wormwood is an introduced species and therefore has no traditional uses in Japan, but it has a history of being used in Europe and Turkey for medicinal purposes similar to mugwort (Koul et al., 2017). It is too bitter to eat raw and is used in the herbal liqueur "absinthe."
Scientifically, its antiparasitic, antibacterial, antioxidant, and hepatoprotective properties have been proven, and experimentally, wormwood essential oil has shown antibacterial activity against budding yeast and Candida albicans.
Although Artemisia princeps is not widely used in Japan, the same subspecies found overseas has been widely used in folk medicine to treat eczema and fever.
How is pollination done?
Artemisia plants typically produce large conical inflorescences at the tips of their stems, bearing numerous small flower heads that hang downwards. The flower head is a structure unique to the Asteraceae family; it is not a single flower, but rather an inflorescence (a cluster of flowers). It consists of countless tiny flowers (florets) that may possess stamens and pistils.
There are two types of florets: ray florets and disc florets. However, in mugwort, only disc florets are present, and within these disc florets, the inner part of the flower head contains bisexual flowers (with both stamens and pistils), while the outer part contains female flowers (with only pistils).
As mentioned above, it is unusual for a member of the Asteraceae family to be wind-pollinated (Shimono, 2014; Yamashita, 2019). However, insect-pollinated varieties were also confirmed in 2022 (Hussain et al., 2024).
Regarding pollen, while animal-pollinated pollen sometimes has spines on its surface, Artemisia pollen is smooth, which is thought to be advantageous when dispersed by wind (Bolick, 1990).
What are the seed dispersal methods?
The fruits of the Artemisia genus are obovate achenes, glabrous or hairy. They lack pappus or have very short hairs. The seeds are contained within the very small achenes, resulting in a very high yield.
Therefore, it is thought that there is no special method of seed dispersal, but because the fruit and the seeds inside are very small and the yield is very high, it is thought that, at least in the case of wormwood, it is easily dispersed by water and animals in addition to gravity (Goud et al., 2015).
References
Ando, Masaya; Ogata, Ayano; Kuronuma, Takanori; Matsumoto, Takeshi; and Watanabe, Hitoshi. (2022). Evaluation of domestically produced mugwort varieties for food use. Journal of the All Japan Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society, 72(1), 68-78. https://doi.org/10.3777/jjsam.72.68
Bolick, MR (1990). The pollen surface in wind-pollination with emphasis on the Compositae. In M. Hesse, & F. Ehrendorfer (Eds.), Plant Systematics and Evolution Vol. 5: Morphology, Development, and Systematic Relevance of Pollen and Spores (pp. 39-51). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-9079-1_4
Goud, BJ, Dwarakanath, V. & Swamy, BC (2015). A review on history, controversy, traditional use, ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Artemisia absinthium Linn. International Journal of Advanced Research in Engineering and Applied Sciences, 4(5), 77-107. https://indianjournals.com/article/ijareas-4-5-008
Hussain, M., Thakur, RK, Khazir, J., Ahmed, S., Khan, MI, Rahi, P., … & Mir, BA (2024). Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of the genus Artemisia L.(Asteraceae): A high-value medicinal plant. Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 24(4), 301-342. https://doi.org/10.2174/1568026623666230914104141
Iriyama, Yoshihisa. (2006). Artemisia japonica. Journal of the Japanese Society of Green Technology, 31(4), 449. ISSN: 0916-7439, https://www.jsrt.jp/pdf/dokomade/31-4otokoyomogi.pdf
Japanese Culinary Science Society. (2021). Traditional Japanese home cooking: Donburi (rice bowls), Zosui (rice porridge), and Okowa (sticky rice).. Rural and Fishing Village Culture Association. ISBN: 9784540191824
Kanagawa Prefecture Flora Survey Association. (2018). Flora of Kanagawa Prefecture 2018 (Electronic Edition). Kanagawa Prefecture Flora Survey Association. ISBN: 9784991053726., https://flora-kanagawa2.sakura.ne.jp/efloraofkanagawa.html
Koul, B., Taak, P., Kumar, A., Khatri, T., & Sanyal, I. (2017). Artemisia genus: A review on traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, pharmacological properties and germplasm conservation. Journal of Glycomics & Lipidomics, 7(1), 142. https://doi.org/10.4172/2153-0637.1000142
Odachi, Junko & Hiyama, Keiichiro. (2013). On the effects and uses of mugwort (Artemisia princeps). Tezukayama University Faculty of Contemporary Life Studies Bulletin, 9, 1-9. ISSN: 1349-7073, https://tezukayama.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/777
Oda, Ryuzo. (1984). Research on Moxa (I): Recent Manufacturing Processes and the Raw Material, Mugwort. Journal of the All Japan Acupuncture and Moxibustion Society, 33(4), 427-430. https://doi.org/10.3777/jjsam.33.427
Yoshiko Shimono. (2014). Mugwort (Artemisia indica Willd. var. maximowiczii (Nakai) H. Hara) ~From the perspective of greening plants~. Grass and green, 6, 23-31. https://doi.org/10.24463/iuws.6.0_23
Yamashita, Tomomichi. (2019). Mugwort in Everyday Life. nature conservation, 568, 18-19. ISSN: 0386-4138, https://www.nacsj.or.jp/magazine/14752/
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