Artemisia aleutica

Perennials, 5–10 cm (cespitose), mildly aromatic; caudices branched. Stems usually 1, reddish brown to gray, tomentose to glabrate. Leaves persistent, mostly basal, gray-green; (petioles often expanded) blades (at least proximal) obovate, 1.5–5 × 0.5–1 cm, 2-palmately lobed, lobes relatively narrow, apices acute, faces densely white-villous (brownish in age); cauline smaller, distally 1-ternate. Heads (sessile or peduncles 2–15 mm) in racemiform or spiciform arrays, 1.5–3 × 0.5–1 cm. Involucres hemispheric or globose, (2–)5–7 × (2–)6–8 mm. Phyllaries villous. Florets: pistillate 4–6; functionally staminate 15–30; corollas purplish red, 1.5–2 mm, hairy. Cypselae oblong, ca. 1 mm, faintly nerved, glabrous.

Phenology: Flowering mid–late summer.
Habitat: Open areas, fellfield tundra
Elevation: 0–100 m

Alaska.

Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Artemisia aleutica is known only from the western Aleutian Islands. It is morphologically similar to A. borealis, and the relationships of these species complexes warrant further study.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa