The Biogeography of the Mugwort (Artemisia
douglasiana)
by Laurel Poeton, student in
Geography 316 Fall 2003
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our site. This web pages was written by a student in Geography 316: Biogeography
and edited by the instructor, Barbara Holzman, PhD. All photos and maps
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Species Name: Artemisia douglasiana
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Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: Tracheobionta- Vascular plants Superdivision: Spermatophyta- Seed plants Division: Magnoliophyta- Flowering plants Class: Magnoliopsida- Dicotyledons Subclass: Asteridae Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae- Aster family Genus: Aremisia L.- sagebrush Species: Artemisia douglasiana – Douglas’ sagewort |
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Description of Species:
The common name of this species is Mugwort. It is mainly found along riparian corridors in low lying lands. It is part of the sunflower family and so will be found in bright sunshine areas. Although upon initial research there is literature stating that they like shady areas. When viewed in the field they were found growing underneath taller dominate plants such as coyote brush and others. It looks like a bush upon first sighting however this is because it grows in large clusters or “patches” together.
Artemisia douglasiana when grown to full height, stands anywhere between 3 and 7 feet tall. Each individual leaf grows about 1-2 inches long. They grow along a few dominate stems of the plant. It is related to the sage brush and so is generally low to the ground and bush like. The leaves range in size from very small are generally less than an inch wide. The overall shape of the leaves are almost hand like. There are generally five points off of the ides and top of the leaves. Two on the lower sides that look like a thumb and pinky finger and 3-4 on the top that look like mitten fingers. Each point at the end branches off into two more points.
The leaf coloring is different from the topside to the underside. The sun-side of the leaves is a dark green with brown hair dormant veins running along it. It is a deep green because it receives lots of nutrients from the habitat that it grow in; that being along the river corridor. The underside of the leaves are a silver toned light green color. They too contain little bits of hairs along the veins running up the leaves. The underside of the leaves sparkle they are so silver greenish.
The overall description of this plant is difficult to mold into one description. The characteristics of Mugwort change as the seasons change. Mugwort looks completely different in the spring time as it is beginning to grow as it does in the summertime when it is growing small flowers and spreading its pollen around the riparian habitiat that it likes to grow in. The appearance of Mugwort varies throughout its distribution of the Northwestern States. It also goes by the name of vulgaris on the east coast. It can grow up to 7 feet tall and flowers whitish flowers between the months on June and October. It can be found across California from the coast to inland (however rarely found in deserts).
Natural History:
Artemisia douglasiana was named after a Scottish botanist. The
Scottish botanist was named David Douglas (1798-1834) who made many trips to the
Americas. He identified many California species of plants.
Artemisia douglasiana has historical ancestors going all the way back into the Quaternary age of the world. Fossils of plant have been found to have the same stem composites as the sage family. There are many theories as to how this plant was named. One is that it was added to beer before hops for seasoning (drinking out of mugs). Another is that it was named such because it is good at keeping moths out of clothes and areas (globalherbalsupplies.com).
Evolution: (IiN PROGRESS)
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© Mario G. Maldonado, M.D., 2004 |
Distribution::
Artemisia
douglasiana can be found growing year round; hence it is a perennial plant. The
extent of elevation growth can reach up to about 6,000 ft high. It is a plant
when in full bloom can be sensed with the nose before it is seen with the eyes. Mugwort
is able to reproduce through both seed distribution and through clones of its rhizomes on its stem. Artemisia
douglasiana is found through out the Northwestern parts of the United States
of America. It is the
Artemisia that grows the furthest West and grows as far west as the Rocky
Mountains. It prefers dry sunny area close to streams. It is
normally found in large clumps along trails and stream beds. These clumps
are connected by the underground root system of the plant.
Below is a distribution map of Artemisia douglasiana from the website of the Plants Database.
Other interesting issues:
Medicinal usages of Artemisia douglasiana have ranged far and wide every
since the discovering of this plant in Asia long ago. One of the greatest
medicinal purposes of Western Mugwort is for the release of gastronomical
pains. A tea made form the leaves sipped in the evening time (or when
experiencing gastronomical pain). The tea when sipped in the evening time will
also relieve late night sugar cravings. Sugar craving can be due to an over
worked liver. When used
topically, the oils are antifungal fighting. It fights against a wide variety
of living bacteria. When ingested through the making of tea in the evening time
it fights off diarrhea, pinworms and other intestinal infections.
Mugwort played a large role in Native American folklore (as did a lot of other sages). It was smoked, drank and burned for rituals. It was believed if one were to rub their bodies with the leaves that the odor would keep away ghosts.
In Native American folklore Mugwort was also a Witchcraft medicine, rubbed the leaves on ones body to keep ghosts away or wearing a necklace to prevent dreaming of the dead. In the Middle Ages a crown made from its sprays was worn on St. John's Eve to gain security from evil possession. Mugwort derived its common name from being used to flavor drinks like beer before the introduction of hops. The Name Artemisia is from the Goddess Artemis (1st century AD) who inspired the plants genus name
Bibliography
Maldonado
G.M.D., (2004). Kwiash [Online]
http://www.runajambi.net/tongva/mugwort.htm Tongva Catalog Accessed
4/12/05
United States Department of Agriculture NRCS, (1997) PLANTS National Database Reports, Plant Profile. [Online] http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=plant_profile.cgi&symbol=ARDO3 NRCS. Accessed 4/18/05
Holl, Karen California Mugwort : Artemisia vulgaris, var. Douglasiana Compositae. [Online] http://www2.ucsc.edu/arboretum/artemisia_vulgaris.html University of California Santa Cruz. Accessed 3/30/05
Lee, Glenn. California Mugwort (Douglas' Mugwort) (7/23/00) Plant Data 147 [Online]http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/PLANTS2/Asteraceae/Artemisia_douglasiana.htm Accessed 4/7/05
Cal Polytechnical University (2005) Cal Poly Land VI .Plant Communities D. Riparian Communities [Online]http://polyland.lib.calpoly.edu/overview/Archives/derome/riparian.html Cal Polytechnical University Accessed 4/7/05
Hickman, James C. (ed.) and Jepson Herbarium. 1989 Berekley Introduction to the Jepson manual: Identification key to California plant families, taxonomic treatment of Saxifrangaceae. University of California at Berekley.
Metcalf, Woodbridge. 1959. Native Trees of the San Francisco Bay Region. University of California Press.
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