field sagewort

(Artemisia campestris ssp. caudata)

Conservation Status
field sagewort
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5? - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

UPL - Obligate upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Field sagewort is a 8 to 32 tall, erect, biennial or short-lived perennial forb that rises on usually 1, sometimes 2 to 5 stems from a large taproot. Unlike most Artemisia species, the leaves and stem are not fragrant or are only slightly fragrant when crushed.

In the first year it forms a rosette of basal leaves. In the second year it send up a flowering stem. It usually dies after bearing fruit once.

The stems are erect or ascending, usually unbranched, and hairless at maturity. They are green at first, eventually turning reddish-brown.

Basal leaves are numerous, green, feathery in appearance, 1½ to 4¾ long including the leaf stalk, and up to 1½ wide. They are deeply cut into 3 to 7 primary lobes (pinnatifid). The primary lobes are again divided into secondary lobes (bipinnatifid), which may be once more lobed (3 times pinnatifid). The ultimate lobes are mostly sharply pointed at the tip, narrowly linear, and 1 50 to 1 16wide. The upper and lower surfaces are sometimes sparsely to moderately covered with fine, white, cobwebby hairs when young, but are hairless when mature. The margins are untoothed. Basal leaves and lower stem leaves are usually withered by flowering time.

Stem leaves are similar, alternate, ¾ to 1½ long, and 3 16 to wide, becoming gradually smaller and less divided as they ascend the stem. They do not have leaf-like stipules or stipule-like lobes at the base.

The inflorescence is a narrow, elongated, branched cluster (panicle) of numerous flower heads at the end of the stems and branches. The panicles are 4¾ to 11¾ long, to 3 wide, and mostly leafless.

The flower head is small, top-shaped, and inconspicuous. The whorl of bracts at the base of the flower head (involucre) is about 1 16 long and 1 16 wide. On the margin of the disc are 5 to 20 pale yellow ray florets with both stamens and pistils that are fertile and produce fruits. In the center are 12 to 30 pale yellow disk florets that also have both stamens and pistils, but have abortive ovaries and do not produce fruits. There is no floral scent.

The fruit is a tiny achene.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

8 to 32

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Pale yellow

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Northern sagewort (Artemisia borealis) is a shorter plant, no more than 15¾ tall. It is usually in the form of a 4 to 12 tall mound. The panicles are much shorter, 3 to 4 long, with fewer but larger heads. The involucres are globe-shaped, not top-shaped, and are larger, long and to 3 16 wide.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Dry. Prairies, woods.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

Late July to mid-September

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

Gall midge (Rhopalomyia artemisiae) creates globular galls at the tip or in the leaf axils.

Gall midge (Rhopalomyia baccarum) creates fleshy galls on the stems.

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 24, 28, 30.

 
  10/22/2021      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Asterales (sunflowers, bellflowers, fanflowers, and allies)  
 

Family

Asteraceae (sunflowers, daisies, asters, and allies)  
  Subfamily Asteroideae  
  Supertribe Asterodae  
  Tribe Anthemideae (chamomiles, yarrows, and allies)  
  Subtribe Artemisiinae  
  Genus Artemisia (wormwoods and sagebrushes)  
  Species Artemisia campestris (Pacific wormwood, field wormwood, field sagewort)  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Artemisia campestris var. caudata

Artemisia caudata

Artemisia caudata var. calvens

Artemisia forwoodii

Oligosporus campestris ssp. caudatus

Oligosporus caudatus

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

beach wormwood

field sagewort

field sage-wort

field wormwood

Pacific wormwood

tall wormwood

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Achene

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded fruit, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed entirely from the wall of the superior ovary, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Bipinnatifid

Twice pinnatifid. Cut deeply into lobes with each lobe also cut into deep lobes.

 

Involucre

A whorl of bracts beneath or surrounding a flower or flower cluster.

 

Panicle

A pyramidal inflorescence with a main stem and branches. Flowers on the lower, longer branches mature earlier than those on the shorter, upper ones.

 

Pinnatifid

Deeply cut, more than half way to the midrib but not to the midrib, into lobes that are spaced out along the midrib; the lobes do not form separate leaflets.

 

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

 

Stipule

A small, leaf-like, scale-like, glandular, or rarely spiny appendage found at the base of a leaf stalk, usually occurring in pairs and usually dropping soon.

 
 
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Nancy Falkum

 
    field sagewort      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Young Plant

 
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Mature Plant

 
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Inflorescence

 
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Leaves

 
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Stem

 
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Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Artemisia campestris
Matt Lavin
  Artemisia campestris  
 
About

Native taprooted biennial or perennial herb to 50 cm tall, basal leaf rosette well developed before withering and disintegrating, grayish green stem leaves pinnately dissected, contrasting against reddish stems. Distal stems can be confused with those of A. dracunculus if leaves are not carefully observed. Roadsides, trailsides, and similarly disturbed settings.

 

 

slideshow

       
 
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  Nancy Falkum
7/22/2021

Location: Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Weaver Dunes Unit

field sagewort  
           
 
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