COMPOSIT.E. 61 



Florets all tubular; those in the centre perfect or male, those 

 of the circumference female, or all perfect. Achencs fusiform, 

 compressed, without ribs; epigynous disk narrower than the top 

 of the achene, without a crown or pappus. 



Herbs with alternate generally broad and finely divided leaves. 

 Anthodes small or rather small, generally very numerous, race- 

 mose or spicate, usually unilateral ; the racemes generally combined 

 into panicles. Florets yellow or purplish. 



Tlie name of this genus of plants has various derivations given for it. It is said 

 by some authors to have been used by Artemisia, Queen of Caria, who gave it lier 

 name in honour of its virtues ; others say it derived its name from Artemis, one of 

 tlie names of Diana ; wliile some suppose that the drooping and cypress-like character 

 of some of the species procured it the name from Artemisia, the wife of Mausolus. 



Section I.— ABSINTHIUM. Tournef. 



Anthodes lieterogamous ; central florets perfect, those of the 

 circumference female. Clinanth hairy. 



SPECIES L— ARTEMISIA ABSINTHIUM. lAan. 



Plate DCCXXXI. 



Jidch. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVI. Tab. MXXIX. Fig. 1. 

 BUlot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1895. 



Stem herbaceous, erect, paniculately branched, with the 

 branches ascending-erect. Leaves punctate, finely silky-pubes- 

 cent on both sides, nearly white below; the lower ones stalked, 

 with the petiole not auricled at the base ; lamina twice or thrice 

 pinnatipartite, with the ultimate segments Hat, oblong-strapshapcd, 

 blunt, not apiculate. Anthodes very numerous, many-flowered, 

 globose, shortly stalked, drooping, in rather lax racemes, arranged 

 in a leafy panicle with erect branches. Pcricline globose ; 

 phyllaries pubescent on the back, scarious at the apex, all nearly 

 equal in length. Female florets dilated at the base above the 

 fruit. Clinanth with long hairs. 



In waste places and by roadsides, especially near the coast. 

 Rather rare, but pretty generally distributed, except in the North 

 of Scotland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Autumn. 



Rootstock woody, producing barren shoots with tufts of leaves, 

 and flowering-stems 1 to 3 feet high. Leaves of the barren shoots 

 and of the lower part of the stems tri-pinuatipartitc, those in the 



