Artemisia abrotanum

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Cladus: Campanulids
Ordo: Asterales

Familia: Asteraceae
Subfamilia: Asteroideae
Tribus: Anthemideae
Subtribus: Artemisiinae
Genus: Artemisia
Subgenus: Artemisia subg. Absinthium
Species: Artemisia abrotanum
Name

Artemisia abrotanum L., 1753
Synonyms

Abrotanum alpestre Jord. &. Fourr.
Abrotanum ambiguum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum brachylobium Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum congestum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum incanescens Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum mas Garsault
Abrotanum pauciflorum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum pedunculare Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum platylobum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum pulverulentum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum rhodanicum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum suave Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum virgatum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum viridulum Jord. & Fourr.
Abrotanum xerophilum Jord. & Fourr.
Artemisia abrotanifolium Salisb.
Artemisia altissima Ehrh. ex DC.
Artemisia anethifolia Fisch. ex DC.
Artemisia elatior Klok.
Artemisia elegans Fisch. ex Ledeb.
Artemisia foeniculacea Stev. ex DC.
Artemisia herbacea Clarke ex DC.
Artemisia herbacea Hort. Wratisl. ex Bess.
Artemisia humilis Mill.
Artemisia naronitana Visiani ex DC.
Artemisia paniculata Lam.
Artemisia procera WilId.
Artemisia sabulosa Stev. ex DC.
Artemisia tenuissima Spreng. ex Bess.

Note:

Artemisia abrotanum Thunb. = Artemisia carvifolia Buch-Ham. ex Roxb.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

native country uncertain

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum. Tomus II: 845. Reference page.
USDA, NRCS. 2006. The PLANTS Database, 6 March 2006 (http://plants.usda.gov). Data compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Links

International Plant Names Index. 2017. Artemisia abrotanum. Published online. Accessed: Nov. 15 2017. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2017. Artemisia abrotanum in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2017 Nov. 15. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2017. Artemisia abrotanum. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 15 Nov. 2017.
Hassler, M. 2017. Artemisia abrotanum. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2017. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2017 Nov 15. Reference page.

Vernacular names
čeština: Pelyněk brotan
Deutsch: Eberraute
English: Southernwood, Lad's Love, Old Man
español: abrótano, abrótano campestre, abrótano macho, alsuila, bálsamo verde, boja, brótano, escoba mujeriega, éter, hierba del éter, hierba lombriguera, lombricera, mamecas, matocas, mesariegas, tomillo de cabezuela, tomillo perruno, yerba lombriguera, yerba lombriguera macho
suomi: Aaprottimaruna, aaprotti
français: Aurone
italiano: Abrotano
norsk nynorsk: Abrodd
norsk: Abrodd
slovenčina: Palina obrovská
српски / srpski: Божје дрвце

Artemisia abrotanum, the southernwood, lad's love, or southern wormwood, is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to Eurasia[2] and Africa but naturalized in scattered locations in North America.[3][4] Other common names include: old man, boy's love, oldman wormwood, lover's plant, appleringie, garderobe, Our Lord's wood, maid's ruin, garden sagebrush, European sage, sitherwood and lemon plant.

Southernwood has a strong camphor-like odour and was historically used as an air freshener or strewing herb. It forms a small bushy shrub, which is widely cultivated by gardeners. The grey-green leaves are small, narrow and feathery. The small flowers are yellow. It can easily be propagated by cuttings, or by division of the roots.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5]
Description

Shrub-like herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae or daisy family. Possesses upright branches that have greenish gray leaves that form a bushy clumped form. the leaf length is normally 1 - 3 inches and the leaf width is normally less than an 1 inch. [6] It is known for its camphor-like scent.[6] Abrotanum are found mainly in the Baltic states, however have been seen in Eurasia, North America, and Africa. In North America it is becoming a naturalized weed in disturbed areas. They grow best in hot dry climates however they do not succeed in humid weather.[7] They can grow to be 3-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. The flowers can be either white or yellow and they bloom in the summer and the fall. the flower shape is like a cup and is normally less than 1 inch. When the plant is touched it sometime gives of a aroma of lemon or tangerine and obviously camphor.[8] Artemisia Abrotnum contains a bacteria fighting alkaloid called abrotanin.[8]
Etymology

The genus is named for Artemis who in Greek mythology is the Greek goddess of the moon, wild animals, and hunting.[9] The specific epithet from Greek means wormwood or southernwood which are the most common names for Artemisia abrotanum. Other names could be lad's love, maid's love and old man. In France, it is called garderobe which means guard the wardrobe, referring to the old practice of placing plant sprigs where you would put your clothes to deter moths and other insects.[9] It is called Abroddman or male southernwood and shares its Swedish name with the cotton lavender Santolina chamaecyparissus.[8]
Uses

It has been mentioned as early as the sixteenth century in Swedish Danish medicinal books that it was used as a treatment for people and animals.[8]

A yellow dye can be extracted from the branches of the plant for use with wool. Its dried leaves are used to keep moths away from wardrobes. The volatile oil in the leaves is responsible for the strong, sharp scent which repels moths and other insects. It was[when?] customary to lay sprays of the herb amongst clothes, or to hang them in closets, and this is the origin of one of the southernwood's French names, "garderobe" ("clothes-preserver"). Judges carried posies of southernwood and rue to protect themselves from prisoners' contagious diseases, and some church-goers relied on the herb's sharp scent to keep them awake during long sermons.[10]

In the traditional medicine of East and North Bosnia and Herzegovina, aerial parts of Artemisia abrotanum are used in jaundice therapy.[11]

Aqueous extracts of the southernwood have been proven to have benefits to all layers of the skin. Two studies were done to see if southernwood did have the positive benefits, one on dryness in lower legs and the other on multiple factors on in the facial regions.[12] In the first study, the extract was applied to one leg and placebo to the other leg twice a day for two weeks. Moisturization was measured by Skicon, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was measured as well. The results showed a significant decrease in TEWL in the panelists with the extract compared to the panelists with placebo. In the second study, patients with coarse wrinkling in the crows feet and upper cheek areas, and also moderate pigmentation, were used. Patients applied the extract to one side of the face and placebo to the other. The facial treatment of southernwood showed improvements of fine lines, mottled pigmentation and radiance when compared to the placebo treatment. The treatment showed significant improvements in overall photodamage to the facial region.[12]

A nasal spray treatment was created to assist patients with allergic rhinitis that contains phytoconstituents 1,8-cineole, linalool, and davonone.[13] Twelve patients that had allergic rhinitis were given the nasal spray, after administration symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing and rhinorrhea all declined within 10 minutes and lasted for several hours. However after the nasal spray was used all the patients experienced a stinging sensation in the nasal area, but it did not hinder any of the effects as it only lasted a few seconds.[13]

A poem by Edward Thomas (1878–1917) concerns the herb: "Old Man or Lad's Love".[14]

In the Chinese book of rites, it is mentioned in sacrifices.[15] It was[when?] used in bouquets for its fragrance for church women in Sweden. In Medieval books, it is said to have been used to treat sleep talking and female diseases.[8]
Cultivation

Artemisia abrotanum grows in acidic, well-drained soil and prefers loamy, sandy, clay soil to grow to full size. It needs full sun exposure in a sheltered location away from extreme winds. The plant is susceptible to root rot.[7]
Toxicity

In 2012, the European Food Safety Authority reported that all the aerial parts of Artemisia abrotanum contain substances that can be toxic to humans, due to the presence in the essential oil of bicyclic monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids.[16] The severity of poison is low but if eaten in large quantities can be very toxic to humans. the parts of the plant that are poisonous are the bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, and the stems.[6]
References

"Artemisia abrotanum". The Global Compositae Checklist (GCC) – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
Altervista Flora Italiana, Abrotano, Artemisia abrotanum L. includes photos + European distribution map
"Artemisia abrotanum in Flora of North America". Efloras.org. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
"Distribution map" (PNG). Bonap.net. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
"RHS Plant Selector Artemisia abrotanum AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
"Artemisia abrotanum (Boy's Love, Garderobe, Lad's Love, Maid's Love, Old Man, Sitherwood, Southernwood, Southern Wormwood) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
"How to Grow Southernwood". The Spruce. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
Svanberg, Ingvar; de Vahl, Erik (2020-08-28). ""It may also have prevented churchgoers from falling asleep": southernwood, Artemisia abrotanum L. (fam. Asteraceae), in the church bouquet, and its contemporary presence as a heritage plant in Sweden". Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine. 16 (1): 49. doi:10.1186/s13002-020-00401-4. ISSN 1746-4269. PMC 7456030. PMID 32859227.
"Artemisia abrotanum - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
Alice Morse Earle (1851-1911), The Sabbath in Puritan New England, chapter 4.
Tewari D, Mocan A, Parvanov ED, Sah AN, Nabavi SM, Huminiecki L, Ma ZF, Lee YY, Horbańczuk JO, Atanasov AG. Ethnopharmacological Approaches for Therapy of Jaundice: Part I. Front Pharmacol. 2017, August 15; doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00518.
"Clinical benefits of topical application of artemisia abrotanum (southernwood) on photodamaged skin". Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 64 (2): AB22. 2011. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2010.09.113.
"Gale - Product Login". galeapps.gale.com. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
"Old Man Poem by Edward Thomas". Poemhunter.com. 23 March 2003. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
Confucius (2016-08-29). Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated). Delphi Classics. ISBN 978-1-78656-052-0.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2012). "Compendium of botanicals reported to contain naturally occuring [sic] substances of possible concern for human health when used in food and food supplements" (PDF). EFSA Journal. 10 (5): 2663. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2663.