Artemisia dracunculus

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 849. 1753.

Common names: Wild tarragon
Illustrated
Synonyms: Artemisia aromatica A. Nelson Artemisia dracunculina S. Watson Artemisia dracunculoides Pursh Artemisia dracunculoides subsp. dracunculina (S. Watson) H. M. Hall & Clements Artemisia glauca Artemisia glauca var. megacephala B. Boivin
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 508. Mentioned on page 503, 505.

Perennials or subshrubs, 50–120(–150) cm, strongly tarragon-scented or not aromatic; rhizomatous, caudices coarse. Stems relatively numerous, erect, green to brown or reddish brown, somewhat woody, glabrous. Leaves: proximal blades bright green and glabrous or gray-green and sparsely hairy, 5–8 cm; cauline blades bright green (gray-green in desert forms), linear, lanceolate, or oblong, 1–7 × 0.1–0.5(–0.9) cm, mostly entire, sometimes irregularly lobed, acute, usually glabrous, sometimes glabrescent (deserts). Heads in terminal or lateral, leafy, paniculiform arrays 15–45 × 6–30 cm; appearing ball-like on slender, sometimes nodding peduncles. Involucres globose, 2–3 × 2–3.5(–6) mm. Phyllaries (light brown, broadly lanceolate, membranous): margins broadly hyaline, glabrous. Florets: pistillate 6–25; functionally staminate 8–20; corollas pale yellow, 1.8–2 mm, eglandular or sparsely glandular. Cypselae oblong, 0.5–0.8 mm, faintly nerved, glabrous. 2n = 18.


Phenology: Flowering mid summer–late fall.
Habitat: Open meadows and fields, desert scrub, moist drainages, roadsides
Elevation: 500–3000 m

Distribution

V19-856-distribution-map.gif

Alta., B.C., Man., Ont., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Ill., Iowa, Kans., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Dak., Okla., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wis., Wyo., Eurasia.

Discussion

Artemisia dracunculus is widely cultivated as a culinary herb and may be introduced in parts of its range. It is easily cultivated from rootstocks, and while establishment from seeds is rare, seedlings can be found with amenable environmental conditions. Because of its popularity as an herb, it may suffer from overcollecting. Its scarcity in Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois (J. T. Kartesz and C. A. Meacham 1999) may have been caused by overly enthusiastic collecting as well as habitat loss.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Artemisia dracunculus"
Leila M. Shultz +
Linnaeus +
Wild tarragon +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, Ont. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, N.Dak. +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, S.Dak. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and Eurasia. +
500–3000 m +
Open meadows and fields, desert scrub, moist drainages, roadsides +
Flowering mid summer–late fall. +
Illustrated +
Artemisia aromatica +, Artemisia dracunculina +, Artemisia dracunculoides +, Artemisia dracunculoides subsp. dracunculina +, Artemisia glauca +  and Artemisia glauca var. megacephala +
Artemisia dracunculus +
Artemisia subg. Drancunculus +
species +