Artemisia ludoviciana
| Artemisia ludoviciana | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Artemisia |
| Species: | A. ludoviciana |
| Binomial name | |
| Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. | |
Artemisia ludoviciana, syn. A. palmeri, A. purshiana, is a species in the genus Artemisia of the family Asteraceae, known by several common names, including silver wormwood, western mugwort, Louisiana wormwood, white sagebrush, and gray sagewort.
It is native to North America where it is widespread coast to coast, but many subspecies are found only in the western United States. This is a rhizomatous perennial plant growing to heights between 30 centimeters and one meter. The stems bear linear leaves up to 11 centimeters long. The stems and foliage are covered in woolly gray or white hairs. The top of the stem is occupied by a narrow inflorescence of many nodding flower heads. Each small head is a cup of hairy phyllaries surrounding a center of yellowish disc florets and is about half a centimeter wide. The fruit is a minute achene. This plant was used by many Native American groups for a variety of medicinal, veterinary, and ceremonial purposes.[1]
Subspecies
There are many subspecies, including:
- A. l. ssp. albula - small-leafed subspecies native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico
- A. l. ssp. candicans - native to western North America from British Columbia to northern California
- A. l. ssp. estesii - (Estes' artemisia) - endemic to Oregon
- A. l. ssp. ludoviciana - the most widespread subspecies
Etymology
Ludoviciana is the Latinized version of the word Louisiana
Cultivation
A. ludoviciana has become a popular garden plant, although it has a tendency to be aggressive in some gardens. The most commonly grown forms are the selections A. ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' and 'Silver Queen', which are both hardy to USDA zone 4. 'Valerie Finnis' gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 1993.[2]
References
- ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
- ↑ "RHS Plant Selector - Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis'". Retrieved 2 June 2013.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Artemisia ludoviciana. |
 |
Wikispecies has information related to: Artemisia ludoviciana |