ARTEMISIA. 



lower pinnatifid, the upper trifid, pretty smooth above, a little downy 

 underneath, but not woolly and white; lobes lanceolate, somewhat 

 incised, though generally entire. Floral leaves entire, and linear-lan- 

 ceolate. Panicles terminal, with the ramifications and flower heads all 

 drooping. Flower heads small, roundish, numerous. Hermaphrodite 

 florets about 10 in the centre, 5-cleft, with the stamens concealed in 

 the gibbous tube. Female ones about the same number in the circum- 

 ference, obliquely truncated, and so small as to be with difficulty dis- 

 tinguished from the style. Receptacle naked, convex. — Leaves slightly 

 aromatic and bitter. It is considered in India a powerful deobstruent 

 and antispasmodic. 



941. A. Dracunculus Linn. sp. pi. 1189. Bess. drac. n. 22. 

 DC. prodr. vi. 97. — Dracunculus hortensis Blackw. herb. t. 116. 

 — All the north of Russia in Asia. (Tarragon.) 



A smooth, green, perennial herbaceous plant. Stems erect, branched. 

 Radical leaves trifid at the points ; the cauline lanceolate, or linear- 

 lanceolate, rather toothed or entire. Panicle spreading, Heads race- 

 mose, panicled, globose, rather spreading. Outer involucral scales 

 oblong, scarious at the margin ; inner broadly elliptical, scarious at the 

 edge. DC. — Leaves and young shoots agreeably pungent and stimu- 

 lating, usually employed as a pickle, or for giving a pleasant flavour to 

 vinegar. 



942. A. Sieberi Bess, suppl. p. 80. DC. prodr. vi. 101. — 

 A. glomerata Sieb. in Spreng. sijst. iii. 489. not of Ledebour. — 

 Palestine. 



Leaves rigid, smooth ; the cauline half-amplexicaul, 3-5-parted, the 

 middle lobe pinnatifid, the lateral and their segments trifid and linear. 

 Panicles much spreading, with ascending branches. Heads few-flowered, 

 in scattered spiked panicles, ellipsoidal and tuberculated. DC— Accord- 

 ing to Batka this produces the suhstance called Semen-contra, Semen- 

 cine, or Barbotine, a strong aromatic bitter drug imported from Aleppo 

 and Barbary as a vermifuge. It is employed in powder, in aqueous 

 infusion or in syrup. Its most active principle is obtained by distillation 

 in the form of a yellow volatile oil, which is lighter than water, and has 

 a strong penetrating odour. 



943. A. Abrotanum Linn. sp. 1185. Bess, abr.n. 14. DC. 

 prodr. vi. 108. — (Blackw. herb. t. 555.)— Hills of the South 

 of Europe. (Southernwood.) 



An erect shrub. The lower leaves bipinnate, the upper simply pin- 

 nate; their lobes and the floral leaves long and capillary. Heads in 

 virgate panicles, hemispherical, nodding. Involucral scales whitish, 

 hoary, ovate-lanceolate. Corollas naked. — A powerful anthelmintic. 



944. A. Moxa DC. prodr. vi. 121. — Absinthium Moxa 

 Besser. abr. n. 3. — China. (Moxaweed.) 



A hoary, branched, compact shrub, about 2 feet high. Leaves hoary, 

 becoming naked, bipinnated, with linear-lanceolate obtuse segments. 

 Heads middle sized, globose, cernuous in panicled racemes. Involucral 

 scales membranous, and scarious at the end. Corollas smooth. DC. — 

 It is from the woolly leaves of this, and not A. Chinensis, that the 

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