Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana

Native

Dry. Prairies, disturbed sites.

July to October

Yellow or yellow-green

1′ to 3′

This is a 1′ to 3′ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on multiple stems from a slender, horizontal rhizome. It often forms colonies. The leaves and stem are highly fragrant with a sage-like aroma.

The stems are unbranched below the inflorescence. They are covered with white, short, soft, matted, woolly hairs, at least near the top.

The leaves are alternate, gray, inversely lance-shaped with the attachment at the narrow end. They are 1⅛″ to 4⅓″ long and up to ½″ wide at the base, getting progressively smaller as they ascend the stem. They are untoothed and unlobed or may have a few lobes or large, coarse teeth toward the tips. The margins are flat, not rolled under. The upper and lower surfaces are densely covered with white, short, soft, matted, woolly hairs, the lower surface more so than the upper.

The inflorescence is an erect, dense, 2″ to 12″ long, spike-like cluster at the top of some of the stems.

The flowers are yellow or yellow-green, small, round, and inconspicuous. They are composed of 6 to 12 very short ray florets and 5 to 12 disk florets. There is no floral scent.

The fruit is a tiny achene.

Subspecies ludoviciana is the most widespread, common, and the most varied in appearance. It is the only subspecies that occurs in Minnesota.

The gray color of the stems and leaves and the lance-shaped leaf distinguish this plant from other Artemisia species that occur in the state.